#Kona storm

Storm-related repairs on a section of South Kīhei Road in North Kīhei were completed ahead of schedule, allowing the stretch between Ohukai Road and Kūlanihākoʻi Street to reopen Wednesday, June 10, 2026, according to the County of Maui Department of Public Works (DPW).

Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens in ‘Īao Valley, reopened Saturday after severe damage from back-to-back Kona low storms in March, according to the County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation. The public is advised that Picnic Pavilions 1 and 2 at Kepaniwai remain closed as repairs continue. Parkgoers are asked to proceed with caution and follow all warning signs when visiting the facility.

After repairs to storm-damaged berms and surrounding areas, the Ukumehame Firing Range will reopen on Friday, June 5, 2026, according to the County of Maui Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR).

The program will provide a one-time $2,000 Home Depot gift card to eligible Native Hawaiian homeowners, renters and lessees whose primary residences sustained minor storm-related damage. OHA has allocated $410,000 for the program, making approximately 200 cards available statewide. 

Throughout the entirety of the response, HING personnel assisted a total of 138 individuals and three dogs. Air crews conducted search and rescue operations that aided 47 people and two dogs, while ground crews assisted 91 people and one dog. To mitigate flood impacts and assist residents in recovery, service members filled 4,420 sandbags and provided crucial debris removal assistance to 164 homes across the impacted areas.

Survivors of the March 10–24, 2026 Kona Low flooding in the City and County of Honolulu, as well as Hawaiʻi and Maui counties can receive in-person assistance from FEMA and the US Small Business Administration at Local Recovery Centers operated by state, local and nonprofit partners. The deadline to apply for federal assistance is June 14, 2026.  

Residents and business owners are invited to attend an informational community meeting on the Kona Low storm recovery efforts on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Malcolm Center, Council Member Tom Cook announced.

Storm repair work is temporarily paused on South Kīhei Road between Ohukai Road and Kūlanihākoʻi Street pending the delivery of materials, according to the County of Maui Department of Public Works Highways Division.

Kona Low storms right-of-way debris removal service will conclude Friday, May 22, 2026, according to the County of Maui Office of Recovery.

Starting today, Tuesday, May 12, 2026, the closure of South Kīhei Road between Ohukai Road and Kūlanihākoʻi Street will begin a half-hour later at 7:30 a.m. to better accommodate morning traffic, according to the County of Maui Department of Public Works.

Native Hawaiian families impacted by the March 2026 Kona Low storms and flooding will soon have access to direct financial assistance through a new disaster relief program launched by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and administered by the Hawaiian Council.

Preliminary results from this year’s Charity Walk show an impressive total of $1.62 million raised in Maui County to directly benefit more than 74 Maui County nonprofit organizations. This “day-of” total broke last year’s record, however, funding is still being accepted until May 31.

County officials are urging residents and business owners affected by March’s Kona low storms to take advantage of federal disaster assistance programs before key application deadlines pass.

The US Small Business Administration (SBA) announced today the opening of Disaster Loan Outreach Centers in Kīhei, Kailua-Kona and Waialua to assist businesses, private nonprofit organizations and residents affected by severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides occurring March 10 – 24.

US Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) spoke on the Senate floor about last month’s kona low storms which produced continuous flooding and resulted in widespread damage across Hawai‘i.

In response to the recent kona low storms that impacted communities across the state, Hawaiʻi Energy, the state’s energy conservation program, is launching an Appliance Replacement Program to help residents replace damaged household appliances with new energy-efficient models.

Following significant progress in storm repair work while South Kīhei Road was closed between Ohukai Road and Kūlanihākoʻi Street since last week, the County Department of Public Works (DPW) Highways Division is planning to open both lanes of South Kīhei Road during nonworking hours.

One month after the kona low storms, the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation announced the first round of more than 20 grants to nonprofit organizations statewide from the Stronger Hawaiʻi Fund, deploying more than $650,000 to nonprofits supporting communities facing over $2 billion in statewide damage. 

Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens, a County of Maui park at the base of ‘Īao Valley State Monument, remains closed to the public due to safety hazards while storm-related repairs are underway.

At the President’s direction, federal disaster assistance is now available to help individuals and households recover from the impacts of the Kona Low flooding that occurred March 10–24, 2026. The Major Disaster Declaration authorizes FEMA’s Individual Assistance program for the City and County of Honolulu, as well as Hawaiʻi and Maui counties.