Maui News

Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) at 4:49 p.m. today, March 21, 2026, UPGRADED advisories to evacuation WARNINGS for some ʻĪao Valley and Wailuku River areas due to flood risk. Warnings and advisories are NOT mandatory evacuation orders.

The state of Hawaiʻi departments and federal partners have been actively working throughout the second kona low weather event that hit Hawaiʻi, to assist with cleanup on O‘ahu and preparing as the kona low approaches the eastern Hawaiian Islands today through Sunday.

At approximately 11:40 a.m., the woman was reportedly attempting to gather water using a basket when she fell into the river. Due to recent heavy rains, the river was flowing rapidly at the time. According to a witness, she became fully submerged and has not been seen since.

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council will deliberate on two major actions at its 206th meeting next week allowing US fishermen to fish in US Pacific marine national monuments.

Multiple roads in Kahului and Lahaina are closed due to excessive flooding. Here is a running list of traffic advisories for Maui County.

The Hawai‘i National Guard has activated about 200 Soldiers and Airmen to support all counties during the current kona low storm. On Maui, the Guard assisted with medical transport from a Kula medical center after it sustained water damage.   

 The state Department of Transportation has several road projects planned across the island this week. All projects are weather permitting.

Hawaiian Electric has started assessing some of the circuits that were proactively turned off due to flooding in the North Shore area of Oʻahu. On Maui, 170 customers remain without power.

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.

With more severe weather in the forecast, the Hawaiʻi Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Insurance Division encourages residents to know what their policies cover so they can efficiently recover any losses after the storm passes. Flood insurance is separate from homeowners insurance and generally not required unless the property is in a designated high-risk […]

In response to the devastating flooding and storm impacts affecting communities across Hawaiʻi, where early estimates indicate damages could exceed $1 billion, the Hawaiian Council announced today it has launched Kākoʻo Oʻahu, a donation campaign to support individuals and families impacted by the severe weather events that began last week.

Martial arts, TV and movie icon Chuck Norris’s sudden passing on Kauaʻi has left the close-knit North Shore community and fans around the world in mourning.

Maui Emergency Management Agency at 11:16 a.m. today, March 21, 2026, UPGRADED advisories to evacuation WARNINGS for Wahikuli and Leialiʻi areas below Ka Laʻi Ola in Lahaina due to nearby retention basins nearing capacity. Other new zones in this area were placed under ADVISORY. Warnings and advisories are NOT mandatory evacuation orders.

New research from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa finds that a father’s health and upbringing significantly impact pregnancy success and child development, challenging the traditional focus on mothers.

About 4,200 customers on the North Shore of Oʻahu have been without power since Friday morning after Hawaiian Electric de-energized circuits that cross through the flood zone. On Maui, crews continue to work to restore power to about 100 remaining customers impacted by last week’s kona low storm.

Due to the severe weather that continue to impact on Maui and Oʻahu, several public library locations are closed on Saturday, March 21, 2026. 

Maui Economic Opportunity on Moloka’i has canceled all bus rides today due to hazardous conditions from the Kona storm. MEO will announce when service resumes and apologizes for any inconvenience.

A kona low developing west of the islands will draw abundant moisture northward as it strengthens and eventually departs to north early next week. Several rounds of moderate to heavy rainfall are anticipated.

Coast Guard and Navy aircrews rescued seven people and one dog during flash floods on Oʻahu Friday. A larger rescue effort by multiple agencies resulted in the rescue of at least 196 people, according to an earlier report from the governor.

The Hawaiʻi Community Foundation (HCF) is activating the Stronger Hawai‘i Fund, a dedicated fund designed to support statewide disaster and emergency related preparedness, response, recovery, mitigation, and resilience. As communities across Hawai’i continue to feel the impacts of severe weather, HCF is activating the fund immediately to deploy resources where the need is greatest across our state.