#drought

Maui County logged its second wettest season in 30 years during the 2025–2026 wet season. Rainfall totals ran 100 to 250% of average across most of the county and catastrophic flooding hit multiple areas statewide, according to a summary released this week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The combination of a changing climate and development have made South Maui more susceptible to flooding over the years.

Published by the University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant College Program, this first-of-its-kind report uses plain language, along with easy-to-interpret maps and figures, to summarize statewide rainfall, temperature, and drought conditions over the past year.

Forecasters with the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center are predicting above-normal rainfall for Hawaiʻi through January, providing a hopeful sign of relief for Maui County residents following months of severe drought. However, drought is expected to persist on Hawaiʻi island where the forecast chances for rain are lower and the arid conditions have been […]

Maui County is moving into its winter wet season with the promise of relief as an emerging La Niña pattern is expected to bring above-normal rainfall through early 2026, according to the National Weather Service.

State water regulators have clarified data regarding groundwater pumping in Central Maui, acknowledging that while current withdrawals exceed official sustainable yield limits, those limits are conservative estimates that are now under re-evaluation. The clarification comes following an Oct. 28 staff briefing before the state Commission on Water Resource Management. The main focus of the briefing […]

The environmental law firm claims the golf courses unlawfully used millions of gallons of potable water to irrigate their greens, and that the state water commission chair knew about it.

The state water commission is trying to decide who should get permits to use water in West Maui, with 93 existing use permits and 48 new applications under review.

Alarmed about a severe and protracted drought, state and Maui County water officials are reporting historic low flows in East Maui streams and weighing their options to maintain water supply to residents and farmers. The dry weather impacts are being felt in a region popular among visitors for its Road to Hāna, which traverses Maui’s normally lush landscape, a […]

The Maui Planning Commission voted 5-1 Tuesday to grant a special management area use permit for the Four Seasons Resort Wailea’s $16.3 million project to make exterior renovations, including new swimming pools. But the approval came after legal concerns compelled the commission to back off attempts to impose property-wide monitoring of the resort’s water usage.

Kapalua Golf’s Plantation Course will reopen for play on Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. The golf course has been closed since Sept. 2, 2025 to allow Kapalua Golf’s agronomy team to restore turf health following prolonged irrigation restrictions. 

The Sony Open in Hawaiʻi at Waiʻalae Country Club on Oʻahu will be the 2026 PGA Tour season opener Jan. 15-18 after the Tour announced today that The Sentry will not be contested in 2026. 

The company says its fields are getting “eaten alive by axis deer and feral pigs,” and many Maui farms are facing similar challenges.

Based on community feedback and in coordination with the Commission on Water Resource Management, an improved system was designed, featuring new automated gates and remote communication technology that will enable operators to control water diversions in real-time based on rain data and stream flows.

The state Commission on Water Resource Management heard testimony Tuesday from West Maui residents frustrated with the commission’s “inaction” in managing delivery of water to residents and farmers in a region beset by a severe drought. The dry conditions underpinned Tuesday’s announcement by the PGA Tour that it would not hold its annual The Sentry […]

The West Maui service area includes Lahaina, Kāʻanapali, Kahana, Māhinahina, Nāpili-Honokōwai, and Honokōhau. West Maui is experiencing continued dry weather and lack of rainfall. Therefore, the existing water shortage is being upgraded to a Stage 2 for West Maui until water source levels are adequate to meet demand. 

As first responders, emergency management agencies and landowners prepare for a dry summer, Hawaiian Electric reports it is readying its Public Safety Power Shutoff program to reduce the risk of ignitions from its equipment in dry and windy conditions.

At a news conference Wednesday, state, county and nonprofit organizations involved in wildfire prevention and suppression, noted that since the devastating series of fires in August 2023, people are finally beginning to pay attention to the risk. They also emphasized that many parts of Hawai‘i continue to be impacted by prolonged drought conditions, with drought already impacting an estimated 386,000 people across the state.

Changing rainfall, persistent drought and invasive species are taking a toll on the watershed and leaving East Maui farmers with less water than expected after the restoration of streams.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., has issued an Emergency Proclamation Relating to Tropical Storm Hone, to make state resources available as needed. “Given the high winds caused by Hone and existing drought conditions, it is critical that the state and counties be prepared to rapidly deploy personnel and resources such as the National Guard to respond to any wildfires that may ignite and threaten life, safety or property,” according to the EP.