--- title: "Hurricane Lala downgraded to tropical storm after hitting Hawaii, leaving 200,000 without power" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/climate/hurricane-lala-downgraded-to-tropical-storm-after-hitting-hawaii-leaving-200000" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/hurricane-lala-downgraded-to-tropical-storm-after-hitting-hawaii-leaving-200000" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/climate/hurricane-lala-downgraded-to-tropical-storm-after-hitting-hawaii-leaving-200000.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/hurricane-lala-downgraded-to-tropical-storm-after-hitting-hawaii-leaving-200000" category: "Climate" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-17T04:46:44.519Z" source_reported: "2026-08-17T03:01:00.000Z" updated: "2026-08-17T04:46:44.519Z" trust_score: 82 critic_score: 68 hype_score: 21 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-17T06:02:55.469Z" --- # Hurricane Lala downgraded to tropical storm after hitting Hawaii, leaving 200,000 without power *At least 100 homes were damaged and two swept away as the storm moved west-northwest at 26 kph* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 82 of 100, higher is better. Multiple outlets corroborate power outages. - Craft 68 of 100, higher is better. Reports lack detailed damage assessments. - Hype 21 of 100, lower is better. Headlines emphasize storm's impact. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Over 200,000 utility customers across Hawaii lost power after Hurricane Lala weakened to a tropical storm on 16 August 2026. - At least 100 homes were damaged, and two were swept away by floodwaters, according to the National Weather Service. - A tropical storm warning remained in effect for Kauai County, while warnings for Maui and Oahu were discontinued. - About 117 people were in shelters as of Sunday morning, and one fatal car accident was reported. Hurricane Lala weakened to a tropical storm after passing Hawaii’s Big Island on 16 August 2026. More than 200,000 utility customers were without power at midday, though outages on Oahu had decreased from over 220,000 to around 130,000 by Sunday morning. State officials reported at least 100 homes damaged, and the National Weather Service confirmed two homes were swept away by floodwaters. The storm moved west-northwest at 26 kph with maximum sustained winds of 105 kph, just below the hurricane threshold. A tropical storm warning remained in effect for Kauai County, while warnings for Maui and Oahu were lifted earlier in the day. Hawaiian Electric said repair efforts were hampered by fallen trees and flooded roads. About 117 people were in shelters as of Sunday morning. State officials urged residents to stay indoors after one fatal car accident was reported. All airports in Hawaii were reopened, but travellers were advised to check with airlines for updates. ## Disagreement on power outage figures Rappler reported that 219,000 customers were without power at 12:05 pm on 16 August. Channel News Asia said 183,123 customers remained without power as of 3:30 pm the same day. The Times of India digest mentioned "approximately one hundred eighty-four thousand residents" without power, though this figure does not appear in the other reports. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mentioned the two homes swept away by floodwaters, as confirmed by the National Weather Service. The fatal car accident reported by state officials was also omitted from all right-rated digests. The left and centre reports included both details. ## Who covered it Shares of the 10 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 10% (1) - Centre: 40% (4) - Right: 50% (5) 2 of 12 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-17T06:02:55.469Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 9 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-17T07:00:22.992Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated report from Rappler led on the scale of power outages, stating that 219,000 customers were without power at midday. It included the governor’s statement that at least 100 homes were damaged and quoted a state official describing flash floods "like we’ve never seen". The report also noted the death of one person in a car-related accident and the number of people in shelters. - Rappler used the phrase "battered Hawaii’s southern areas" to describe the storm’s impact and quoted an official saying, "It’s not a day to go to the beach." The report included the National Weather Service’s confirmation that two homes were swept away. ### Centre - Both centre-rated reports, from Channel News Asia and kimt.com, led on the number of customers without power, citing 183,123 outages as of Sunday afternoon. They reported that tropical storm warnings for Maui and Oahu had been discontinued, while a warning remained in effect for Kauai County. Both included the governor’s statement on home damage and the number of people in shelters. - Channel News Asia’s full report noted that Lala was moving west at 20 mph with sustained winds of 65 mph, just below the hurricane threshold. It quoted a state official describing flash floods as "like we’ve never seen" and included the National Weather Service’s confirmation that two homes were swept away. The report also mentioned the fatal car accident and the reopening of airports. ### Right - The five right-rated digests all led on the storm’s departure from Hawaii and the scale of power outages. The Times of India and Latestly digests mentioned over 200,000 people without power, while The Straits Times and KTEN digests cited more than 180,000. All five noted that at least 100 homes were damaged, and some mentioned ongoing rescue operations hampered by floodwaters and landslides. - The Times of India digest described the storm’s impact as leaving a "trail of destruction", while Latestly and Tribune India digests quoted CNN’s report that the storm’s eye was pulling away from Kauai. None of the right-rated digests mentioned the two homes swept away by floodwaters or the fatal car accident. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 3 - high: 5 - unknown: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/tropical-storm-lala-moves-away-from-hawaii-leaves-trail-of-damage-and-lakhs-without-power/articleshow/133284758.cms) — Tropical Storm Lala moves away from Hawaii, leaves trail of damage and lakhs without power - [Rappler](https://rappler.com/world/asia-pacific/hawaii-power-outage-homes-damaged-hurricane-lala-august-16-2026) — Over 200,000 without power, 100 homes damaged as hurricane hits Hawaii - [The Straits Times](https://straitstimes.com/world/more-than-180000-without-power-in-hawaii-100-homes-damaged-as-lala-weakens-to-tropical-storm) — More than 180,000 without power in Hawaii, 100 homes damaged as Lala weakens to tropical storm - [Channel News Asia](https://channelnewsasia.com/world/hawaii-hurricane-lala-tropical-storm-6322496) — More than 180,000 without power in Hawaii, 100 homes damaged as Lala weakens to tropical storm - [Latestly](https://latestly.com/agency-news/world-news-tropical-storm-lala-begins-to-exit-hawaii-leaves-over-two-lakh-people-without-power-7563026.html) — Tropical Storm Lala Begins to Exit Hawaii, Leaves over Two Lakh People Without Power - [Tribune India](https://tribuneindia.com/news/usa-news/tropical-storm-lala-begins-to-exit-hawaii-leaves-over-two-lakh-people-without-power) — Tropical storm Lala begins to exit Hawaii, leaves over two lakh people without power - The Tribune - [The Sun Newspapers](https://thesunpapers.com/2026/08/16/tropical-storm-lala-sweeps-about-100-big-island-homes) — Tropical Storm Lala Sweeps About 100 Big Island Homes From Foundations, Leaves 200,000 Without Power - The Sun Papers - [www.ertnews.gr](https://ertnews.gr/eidiseis/xavai-efialtiki-nyxta-apo-tin-kataigida-lala-plimmyres-katolisthiseis-kai-diakopes-reymatos) — Hawaii: Nightmare Night From Storm "Lala" – Flooding, Landslides and Power Outages - [WHIO](https://whio.com/news/thousands-without-power-least-100-homes-damaged-after-tropical-storm-lala-starts-move-away/d7882c84-ffbe-4924-9408-3e2fa4965db7) — Thousands without power and at least 100 homes damaged after Tropical Storm Lala starts to move away - [Local 3 News](https://local3news.com/regional-national/en-espanol/la-tormenta-tropical-lala-se-aleja-de-hawai-tras-dejar-a-miles-sin-electricidad-y/article_6eaaecb3-1c37-512c-92ab-2a6cbfac395a.html) — Tropical Storm Lala Moves Away From Hawaii After Leaving Thousands without Power and at Least 100 Homes Damaged. - [KTEN](https://kten.com/weather/national-weather/thousands-without-power-and-at-least-100-homes-damaged-after-tropical-storm-lala-starts-to/article_70977c21-f364-5752-ac98-b09337a1feb7.html) — Thousands without power and at least 100 homes damaged after Tropical Storm Lala starts to move away from Hawaii - [kimt.com](https://kimt.com/news/thousands-without-power-and-at-least-100-homes-damaged-after-tropical-storm-lala-starts-to/article_1951d936-e99d-52e3-b890-b6250a0f04c2.html) — Thousands without power and at least 100 homes damaged after Tropical Storm Lala starts to move away from Hawaii ## Questions **How many people were without power after Tropical Storm Lala?** Over 200,000 utility customers across Hawaii were without power at midday on 16 August 2026, though outages on Oahu had decreased to around 130,000 by Sunday morning. Reports varied, with some citing 183,123 outages later in the day. **What damage did Tropical Storm Lala cause in Hawaii?** At least 100 homes were damaged, and two were swept away by floodwaters, according to the National Weather Service. State officials also reported one fatal car accident and flash floods described as "like we’ve never seen". **Which counties in Hawaii remained under a tropical storm warning?** A tropical storm warning remained in effect for Kauai County after warnings for Maui and Oahu were discontinued on 16 August 2026. The storm was moving west-northwest at 26 kph with sustained winds near 105 kph. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/climate/hurricane-lala-downgraded-to-tropical-storm-after-hitting-hawaii-leaving-200000. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Hurricane Lala downgraded to tropical storm after hitting Hawaii, leaving 200,000 without power", https://mediabias.news/climate/hurricane-lala-downgraded-to-tropical-storm-after-hitting-hawaii-leaving-200000