Weather

Hurricane Lala Batters Hawaii's Big Island, 1 Dead

Is Hurricane Lala proof that climate change is redefining Pacific storm seasons or an event too complex to blame on human emissions?

AUG 16·Updated 7 days ago

Hurricane Lala Batters Hawaii's Big Island, 1 Dead

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Above: A vehicle approaches a downed utility pole dangling above Mamalahoa Highway in Hawaii on Aug. 15. Image credit: Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images

The Spin

Climate-concerned narrative

Hurricane Lala hitting Hawaii's Big Island marks a historic shift — warmer ocean temperatures fueled by El Niño and climate change kept this storm alive far longer than normal. Three of the five named storms to make landfall in Hawaii over the last 67 years have hit in just the last decade. Warmer oceans mean stronger storms, and Hawaii needs to prepare for this becoming the new normal.

Ezequiel Aguilar on X

Derek Ortt on X Honolulu Civil Beat

Climate-skeptic narrative

Blaming Lala purely on human CO₂ emissions ignores the staggering complexity of natural climate systems. Land and ocean sinks absorb roughly half of all human emissions annually, and decades of NASA satellite data show global greening driven by CO₂ fertilization. Climate models built on sparse point-source data and administrative accounting aren't solid enough to pin one storm on human activity.

Peter Clack on X