Homes reportedly swept away as Hurricane Lala triggers flash flood emergency on Hawaii Island (hawaiinewsnow.com)

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Two homes were reportedly swept away in Naalehu after torrential rainfall from Hurricane Lala triggered a flash flood emergency Saturday night in the Kau District of Hawaii Island. ‘Particularly dangerous situation’ Local law enforcement reported the incident at 9:53 p.m. Saturday, according to a National Weather Service alert. Rain was falling at an extreme rate of 3 to 5 inches per hour, and flash flooding remained ongoing as additional heavy rain bands were expected over the next several hours. Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda said Hawaii County Civil Defense initiated a joint search-and-rescue mission utilizing county, Hawaii National Guard and Coast Guard resources. “What makes this very challenging is there’s rushing water, debris, and there’s boulders on the road, and it’s dark,” he said in a video posted to social media. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for the area, calling it “a particularly dangerous situation,” and urged residents to seek higher ground. Locations impacted by the alert included Wood Valley, Pahala, Punaluu Beach, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Kawa Flats, Volcano, Naalehu, Glenwood, Hawaiian Ocean View, Mountain View and Waiohinu. Extended power outages More than 63,000 customers experiencing power outages — including the entire...