Hurricane Lala devastates Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

Hurricane Lala has caused significant environmental damage to the remote atolls of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. On Laysan Island, observers reported a “post-apocalyptic look,” with shoreline shrubs and trees stripped of leaves and salt-scorched. The storm also resulted in the deaths of numerous seabird chicks along the shoreline due to heavy wave action.

Kevin O’Brien, president of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project, witnessed the destruction while on a 21-day expedition to remove marine debris such as ghost nets and plastic. The crew of 16 had to pause their mission as the storm intensified into a major hurricane, with the National Hurricane Center forecasting maximum sustained winds of approximately 125 mph and waves reaching 31 feet.

Prior to hitting the monument, the hurricane passed south of the Big Island as a Category 1 storm, bringing torrential rain and winds that caused structural damage to homes and disturbed a cemetery in Na‘alehu.