As Tropical Storm Lala nears the Big Island of Hawaii, travelers are scrambling to cope with flight cancellations and broader closures, along with the risks of flooding, storm surges and hurricane-force winds.
The storm prompted some visitors to leave accommodations early, while others are hunkered down in hotels to wait out what could be the first hurricane to make landfall on Hawaii in 34 years.
Hawaiian Airlines has canceled 11 trans-Pacific flights and 54 flights between the islands on Saturday at four different airports, including on Maui and Kauai, though the largest impact has been on the Big Island. The airline has canceled all flights after 2 p.m. on Saturday at Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport, the Big Island’s busiest airport, according to an airline spokesperson. A flight reduction plan is also in place for local and trans-Pacific flights into Kahului Airport on Maui.
Several airlines are canceling or adjusting their flights at Lihue Airport on Kauai for Saturday and Sunday, according to Shelly Kunishige, a spokeswoman for the Hawaii Transportation Department.
“The state airports are technically open and operating normally right now, but you can expect there’s going to be just a lot of cancellations,” Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii said in a news conference on Friday evening.
At Hilo International Airport, the Big Island’s second-busiest airport, Hawaiian Airlines, one of two major carriers there, canceled five flights to and from the island starting late Friday afternoon. The airline is also suspending operations at the airport on Saturday, canceling 25 scheduled flights and rebooking all affected passengers.
An additional Hawaiian Airlines flight between Kahului and Honolulu on Saturday has been canceled.
“We are continuing to closely monitor weather conditions to assess additional impacts to our operation throughout the weekend,” an airline spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines confirmed that the airline had instituted “minor modifications” at Hilo and Kona airports on Saturday but declined to provide details because more changes were possible as the situation evolved.
Hawaiian, United Airlines and Southwest are offering travel waivers for customers to change their flights at no extra cost.
Ms. Kunishige, the spokeswoman for the Hawaii Transportation Department, said the agency recommended that people traveling this weekend check with their airline before heading to the airport, and ensure that airlines have their correct contact information so they can receive direct communication about any flight changes.
Matt Pickett, the general manager of Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, on the Big Island’s northeastern coast, said visitors had scrambled plans to avoid getting stranded. He estimated that over 100 reservations for weekend check-ins had been canceled by Friday afternoon, and about 30 guests had checked out early.
Though a handful of guests extended their stays because of the uncertainty around flights, Mr. Pickett said the hotel had already lost about $25,000 in revenue before the storm had even hit.
“That’s important, but it’s not our focus right now,” said Mr. Pickett, who added that his priority was making sure that the staff and guests were safe.
He said the hotel was equipped with portable lights, backup generators and sandbags. There are no guest rooms below the third floor to avoid damage from storm surges, and staff members have placed guests below the sixth floor in case extended power outages cause plumbing issues.
On the opposite side of the island, Molly Hutto, from Maryland, said she was waiting out the storm with her 12-year-old son at a resort in Kona. Ms. Hutto had planned to go sightseeing on the eastern side of the island on Saturday. Instead, she extended their stay in Kona and stocked up on food and water from a local supermarket in case restaurants closed down.
After renting a car for their weeklong vacation, Ms. Hutto said she was nervous about potential mudslides and whether a popular waterfall hike would be open after the storm passes.
“It’s definitely disappointing to have part of this big, exciting vacation eaten up by a hurricane,” Ms. Hutto said on Friday. “However, part of Hawaii’s draw is that you’re exposed to nature.”
She added, “I’m trying to teach my kid that sometimes things happen, we have to pivot, and we make the best of it.”
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