Category 1 Hurricane Bears Down on Hawaii

Hurricane Lala took aim at Hawaii's Big Island on Saturday on a forecast track for possible landfall, which would be the island's first direct hit from a hurricane in 155 years. The National Hurricane Center said Lala's maximum sustained winds increased to 75mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane. The eyewall was forecast to move over or near the island's southern end by the evening, the AP reports, lashing its worst winds at volcanic slopes thousands of feet above sea level. Forecasters said higher elevations on the island, dominated by the towering Mauna Kea volcano, could get as much as 25 inches of rain.

That could cause life-threatening mudslides in a mountainous area where people live off the grid in improvised housing, and authorities urged them to find safe shelters quickly. Bobby Camara, a 75-year-old lifelong resident of the Big Island, said gas stations were busy as people sought fuel for chain saws and vehicles. "I think stocking up is part of life over here. ... You learn to be self-reliant," Camara said. The Big Island was under a hurricane warning, and tropical storm warnings were issued for the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau. Many Hawaiians are still dealing with the aftermath of devastating floods in March.