Hawaii Governor Josh Green has declared a statewide state of emergency as a powerful Kona low storm system continues to batter the island chain. Flash flood warnings remain active for Maui and Molokai until 3:00 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time on Saturday, as radar indicates heavy rain falling at dangerous rates across the state.
Heavy rainfall rates of one to three inches per hour are inundating heavily populated areas, including Waikiki and downtown Honolulu. Forecasters project that elevated terrains could receive up to 20 inches of total accumulation before the system dissipates. Wind gusts are currently reaching between 60 and 80 mph.
The severe weather has caused significant infrastructure disruptions. Approximately 113,800 Hawaiian Electric customers lost power on Oahu, with an additional 15,600 outages reported in Maui County, bringing the combined total to nearly 130,000.
In response to the escalating conditions, mandatory evacuation orders were issued for the ʻŌtake Camp area in Waialua. Multiple road closures and instances of water entering homes have been recorded in the Kihei and Lahaina areas of Maui. To ensure public safety, all public schools, charter schools, and state offices on Oahu, Kauai, and Maui County were ordered closed on Friday.
The current system is categorized as a Kona low, a seasonal subtropical cyclone that typically forms near Hawaii between October and May. These storms reverse the traditional northeasterly trade winds, drawing deep tropical moisture from the south or southwest. Meteorological data indicates the current storm is being driven by a negatively tilted trough and a 150 mph jet streak aloft, creating significant atmospheric instability across the region.
While Kona lows occur annually, the forecast moisture and prolonged, multi-day impacts of this specific storm are unusually high for late March. Governor Green compared the potential impact of the current system to historical severe weather events in the state, noting that previous storms of this magnitude have washed out entire canyons and destroyed infrastructure.