County of Maui new kona storm update: 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, 2026

Storm Update:

National Weather Service (NWS) has flash flood warnings for Maui until 3 p.m. today, Molokaʻi until 3:45 p.m. and Lānaʻi until 2:45 p.m. Maui County remains under NWS flood watch through Sunday, March 22, 2026, due to a second, lesser kona storm. Because of the first kona storm, flood-impacted areas — South Maui, ‘Īao, Upper Kula, East Maui, Molokaʻi and Lahaina — are more vulnerable to significant flooding, even with less rain.

MEMA evacuation warnings, advisories

Evacuation warnings and advisories are NOT orders. Areas currently under Maui Emergency Management Agency evacuation WARNING are some neighborhoods in Lahaina, Kīhei and ʻĪao Valley, as well as Wailuku along ʻĪao River, and Wahikuli and Leali‘i neighborhoods below Ka La‘i Ola due to retention basin level monitoring. Areas under ADVISORY are portions of South Maui, Molokaʻi, Lahaina and East Maui.

To view whether your neighborhood is under MEMA evacuation WARNING or ADVISORY, visit Genasys Protect app at protect.genasys.com.

There are three types of Genasys evacuation messages:

• ADVISORY: Be on alert and follow County recommendations. Follow instructions from officials and stay informed. Flood evacuations need only to move to higher ground in your area; moving short distances to nearby shelters or nearby higher ground out of flood zones will prevent being stuck on fragile or crowded roadways. 
• WARNING: Potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with livestock and pets, may consider leaving early.
• ORDERS: Mandatory evacuations due to imminent threat to life and/or property. Leave now.

Shelters:

MEMA, County Parks and Recreation and the American Red Cross proactively opened shelters across Maui on March 20. With attendance reducing, two shelters (Baldwin High School gym and Kīhei Community Center) closed as of noon today. Twenty-two people utilized shelters overnight.

Open shelters are the following:

• South Maui: South Maui Community Park Gym, 1501 Liloa Dr., Kīhei
• East Maui: Hāna High School Cafeteria, 4111 Hāna Highway, Hāna
• West Maui: Lahaina Civic Center, 1840 Honoapiʻilani Highway, Lahaina

County closures:

Molokaʻi (recycling, metals collection and green waste areas) and Lanaʻi landfills closed today, March 21, due to heavy rains causing unsafe operating conditions. Landfills are anticipated to reopen for normal hours on March 24, according to Department of Environmental Management.

Waiehu Municipal Golf Course and all County playing fields are closed today, March 21, due to flooding and weather impacts, according to Department of Parks and Recreation.

Water conservation advisory

Department of Water Supply advises all residents and visitors on Maui and Molokaʻi to conserve water as a precaution during the kona storm 2. Limiting nonessential water use will help maintain water service reliability in the event of power or electronic disruptions or additional storm-related damage. Fill clean containers with water for essential use as a precaution and limit nonessential water use until NWS severe weather watches and warnings are lifted. Sign up for DWS News Flash notifications at https://www.mauicounty.gov/list.aspx.

Road advisories

Travel on Hāna Highway into East Maui is limited to emergency vehicles, essential workers and local traffic due to ongoing repair work and dangerous conditions. MPD has checkpoint enforcement from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily on Hāna Highway. Haleakalā National Park’s summit remains closed, according to the National Park Service. The public is urged not to attempt travel into these areas until further notice. Treat any traffic light that is out or malfunctioning as a four-way stop. Do not attempt to travel through moving water.

Road closures:

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 response:

Mayor Richard Bissen signed an emergency proclamation on March 19 that lets the County access state and federal assistance and streamline procedures to quickly deploy resources, personnel and services if needed. County Emergency Operations Center went into activation, 3/20. Emergency departments have been upstaffing, positioning response equipment and conducting emergency repairs from the last storm.

More information:

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