Tropical Storm Lala moves away from Hawaii, leaves trail of damage and lakhs without power

Damage along a roadway on the eastern edge of Hawaii's Big Island from Hurricane Lala (AP photo) Tropical Storm Lala began moving away from Hawaii on Sunday after battering the islands with heavy rain and powerful winds, leaving at least 100 homes damaged or swept away and nearly 1,84,000 customers without power. Lala formed as a tropical storm on August 13 and strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane as it approached the Big Island on Saturday, before weakening again as it moved westward.The storm brought torrential rain, flash flooding, landslides and hurricane-force wind gusts across Hawaii. More than 30 inches of rain fell in parts of the Big Island, while gusts at higher elevations topped 161 kph. Despite the scale of the damage, Lala never made landfall, with its eyewall passing close to the southern coast of the Big Island.Damage across the islandsHawaii governor Josh Green said at least 100 homes were damaged or swept away on the Big Island. No deaths have been confirmed in connection with the homes that were washed away, although officials were investigating two other deaths to determine whether they were storm-related.Rescue teams were sent to the coastal communities of N...