Maui County agriculture officials call on farmers, ranchers to prepare for Hurricane Nolo

Maui County agriculture officials are urging ranchers, farmers and producers to complete storm preparations as Hurricane Nolo approaches, threatening heavy rain, high winds and flash flooding.

The National Weather Service issued a Tropical Storm Watch for Maui County Thursday morning, indicating tropical storm-force winds are possible within 48 hours, according to the county Department of Agriculture.

The department is asking agricultural operators to take precautions to protect livestock, equipment and records ahead of the storm.

For livestock and animal safety, the department recommends moving animals to pastures on higher ground and avoiding buildings vulnerable to collapse or flooding. Producers should verify stock identification—including tags, brands and microchips—and stockpile one to two weeks of feed, water and essential medications, officials said.

To protect farm infrastructure, the department advises testing generators, topping off fuel tanks and disconnecting electricity to nonessential equipment. Greenhouses, barns and trailers should be secured, and loose tools, irrigation lines and chemicals moved to higher ground. Empty water tanks should be filled to help weigh them down.

The department also recommends administrative preparations, including taking photos and videos of farm conditions before the storm, updating asset inventories and compiling a list of emergency contacts such as veterinarians, staff and utility providers. Insurance and financial records should be stored in waterproof containers or uploaded to cloud storage in case they are needed for disaster relief claims, officials said.

For more information, contact the county Department of Agriculture at 808-270-8276 or agriculture@mauicounty.gov. Disaster recovery resources are available at mauicounty.gov/agriculture under “Get Disaster Support.”

Updated weather information is available from the National Weather Service Honolulu at weather.gov/hfo. Residents can also subscribe to Genasys Protect and Maui Emergency Management Agency alerts at mauicounty.gov/mema.