County of Maui kona storm updates

Shelters:

Six shelters – (NEW) Lānaʻi High & Elementary School Gym, (NEW)Hāna High School Cafeteria, Maui County Kaunakakai Gym on Molokaʻi, Lahaina Civic Center in West Maui, South Maui Community Park Gym and Maui High School Gym in Kahului – remain open. County of Maui Maui Emergency Management Agency and American Red Cross opened the shelters. National Weather Service in Honolulu is predicting the storm will intensify today through Sunday.

Road advisories:

MEMA is asking residents and visitors to stay off roadways unless travel is essential during the severe weather event to allow for emergency access and minimize safety concerns. Haleakalā National Park’s summit and Kīpahulu districts are closed, according to the National Park Service. Travel on Hāna Highway in East Maui is limited to local traffic only. Treat any traffic light that is out or malfunctioning as a four-way stop.

Road closures:

There are several road closures in place due to fallen trees and flooding. For updates on County of Maui road closures, visit https://www.mauicounty.gov/roadclosures or download the Genasys Protect app at mauicounty.gov/MEMA.

County office closures:

All County of Maui offices countywide are closed today due to severe weather conditions and to minimize roadway traffic. Only essential workers will report to work. 

County parks, facility and service closures

• Parks and recreation facilities and locations: As of noon today, March 13, all Maui County parks and pools, including Waiehu Municipal Golf Course and Kepaniwai Park and Heritage Gardens, remain closed until further notice due to severe weather conditions. 

• Senior services: Kaunoa Senior Services suspended services countywide today due to severe weather conditions. Services are expected to resume on Monday, March 16. For assistance, call Kaunoa staff at Spreckelsville campus at 808-270-7308, option 3. Meals on Wheels have been delivered in advance and will not be delivered on March 13.

• Transportation: The Molokaʻi East End bus route was canceled Thursday, March 12, and remains suspended due to unsafe road conditions. The County Department of Transportation, in partnership with Maui Economic Opportunity Transportation, is allowing same-day reservations today for eligible paratransit riders to get to shelters at the South Maui Community Park Gym in Kīhei, Lahaina Civic Center or Maui High School Gym in Kahului. For more information or reservations, call MEO Transportation at 808-877-7651.

• Landfills and recycling centers: Molokaʻi (including recycling, metals collection and green waste areas) and Lānaʻi landfills were closed at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday due to unsafe operational conditions caused by heavy rain and remain closed today. Recycling centers located in Haʻikū, Makawao, Kīhei and Molokaʻi were closed Thursday due to safety concerns over weather conditions and remain closed. Landfills and recycling centers will reopen when sites are deemed safe. Trash pickups are still being conducted; however, schedule changes may occur if weather conditions deteriorate.

Storm update:

A large, prolonged kona storm is bringing periods of heavy rain and flash flooding to Maui County and the rest of the state. The National Weather Service in Honolulu issued a Flood Watch for Maui County from Wednesday morning through Sunday afternoon, March 15. A High Wind Watch for Maui County went into effect Thursday evening through Sunday morning, 3/15. Watches mean hazardous conditions are possible. Advisories mean hazardous conditions are occurring, imminent or likely. Warnings mean hazardous conditions are imminent or already happening.

County response:

Mayor Richard Bissen signed an emergency proclamation on March 10 that lets the County access State and Federal assistance and streamlines procedures to quickly deploy resources, personnel and services if needed. County Emergency Operations Center went into partial activation as of 6 a.m. Thursday, March 12.

Damage assessments:

The Maui Emergency Management Agency is working with local and State partners to continue assessing damage from the storm. Residents and businesses impacted by the storm may submit damage reports to MEMA online at https://crisistrack.juvare.com/public/mauiHI/request.html. Damage reports after a severe weather event help assess impacts, prioritize response efforts and access recovery resources. 

More information:

For the latest information, visit NWS in Honolulu at https://www.weather.gov/hfo/ and subscribe to MEMA alerts at mauicounty.gov/MEMA.