Tropical Storm Moke Brings Fresh Rain to Hawaii Still Recovering from Hurricane Lala

Hawaii’s Big Island is receiving another round of heavy rain as Tropical Storm Moke passes well south of the islands. Forecasters expect five to ten inches in some areas, compounding problems left by Hurricane Lala only a week earlier.

Lala had already torn up roads, triggered landslides and left thousands without power. Governor Josh Green warned that the additional rainfall would be “impactful” precisely because the ground is still saturated and infrastructure has not recovered. A flood watch remains in effect through the afternoon.

Moke itself is not expected to make a direct hit, but its outer bands are still capable of producing dangerous runoff and further slope failures. Emergency managers are monitoring the same communities hit hardest by the earlier storm and have urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel on compromised roads.

The back-to-back systems illustrate how successive tropical systems can overwhelm recovery capacity even when each storm is moderate on its own. Hawaii’s isolated location and steep terrain make rapid response more difficult once damage accumulates.

Drier weather is forecast to return later in the week, giving crews a chance to resume repairs. For now the focus remains on keeping people out of harm’s way while the latest rain falls.