Beachgoers warned to stay out of the water ahead of Tropical Storm Lala

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – City officials held a press conference about ocean safety Friday as Tropical Storm Lala neared the state.

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Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi joined leaders from the Ocean Safety Department at noon on Waikiki Beach to urge the public to use caution as the storm approaches the state during the weekend.

“We can’t control the storm, but we can control how we prepare,” Blangiardi said. “And I can promise you we’ve prepared very thoroughly this week across all sectors.”

Officials warned that hazardous ocean conditions are expected to be generated by Tropical Storm Lala.

“As the storm comes south of us and then passes the island, the surf will come up very quickly,” said OSD Chief Kurt Lager. “We’re going to see ocean conditions and currents waves change very quickly and unexpectedly.”

For Oahu, the main concerns for leaders will be strong and gusty winds, elevated wildfire danger, heavy rainfall, flash flooding, rapidly rising streams, and large, dangerous surf.

Lager said OSD will monitor conditions, remain vigilant along the shores, and keep the public and other City departments informed if conditions become too hazardous for beach activities.

“Obviously, we will warn all the swimmers that are in the water, and we’ll try to educate them and say, ‘hey, it’s not safe for you today. We really think you shouldn’t be going in the water,’” Lager said. ”And that might very well likely happen based on the what we’re expecting.”

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Watch the full press conference:

OSD is extending lifeguard hours but if winds are too strong, 45 mph sustained, towers may have to close for safety reasons.

“That does not mean that the lifeguards are off duty,” Lager said, “We are pulling the lifeguards out of the towers and that’s where we will rely more on a mobile response to 911 calls and be patrolling the beaches in our trucks and via jet skis.”

The Crisis Outreach and Recovery Engagement, CORE, team continued going to homeless camps hidden along stream banks. Friday, they were along the Nuuanu Stream near the Foster Botanical Garden. They warned the people there about the storm and urged them to seek shelter as they have done all week around Oahu.

“We know we’re up against the clock. Time is running out and it’s up to us to get out here to ensure that our most vulnerable populations know that there is a storm coming,” said Shayne Enright of Honolulu EMS and CORE.

Enright said throughout the week they made contact with dozens of people. Some agreed to go to shelters, others said they had family they could spend the weekend with but some said they would ride out the storm where they are.

“If they’re not going to listen, there are other ways that we can get them to move out of certain areas if they’re in danger.”

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