Hawaiʻi Storm Latest: State Shuts Down, 1,000s Lose Power

UPDATE: This story has been updated with additional details.

Public schools and libraries will be closed on Monday, the Legislature will not meet, courts won’t open and all non-essential workers have been ordered to stay home as intense winds and rain pummel the Hawaiian Islands.  

The weather was expected to get worse before it gets better.

In a press conference late Sunday morning, Gov. Josh Green said he decided to close the state in an abundance of caution and state officials joined him to ask people to stay home if they could, even if it meant missing a Super Bowl party. Only essential services will be operating on Monday. 

“We had one of our staff see … a tree fall right on a power line right in front of her this morning,” Green said. “We just want to make sure everybody is very safe. So mostly we’re taking precautions.”

Hawaiian Electric Co. and Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative had taken steps before the storm hit to clear debris that threatened to down power lines. Yet by late Sunday afternoon, Hawaiian Electric Co. estimated that 12,700 people were without power across the state, mostly due to debris and trees blown into the power lines. Crews had restored power to another 45,000 in the previous 24 hours.

Earlier in the day, most of the outages were on Oʻahu, particularly in Nānākuli, Makakilo, ʻAiea, Kalihi, Honolulu and Mānoa. About 160 people on Hawaiʻi island and 350 in Maui County were also in the dark.

Green had issued an emergency proclamation on Friday, as had Maui Mayor Richard Bissen.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi followed suit on Sunday afternoon, and ordered all non-essential county offices and services to close through at least Monday. Mayor Kimo Alameda on the Big Island did the same on Sunday, and emergency shelters have opened across the island. 

Hawaiʻi island had been hit especially hard by then, with some rivers quadrupling in height in Kamuela and Hamakua to reach 4 to 6 feet, according to NOAA maps. 

Kauaʻi officials joined in advising people to avoid non-essential travel, but had yet to declare an emergency as of Sunday afternoon. Shelters there were on standby, but none were yet open. 

Hawaiʻi DOE Schools Close

Classes at Oʻahu public schools were already scheduled to be cancelled Monday for a teacher professional development day, but campuses are now set to be closed statewide. Schools will not transition to online learning either, said Department of Education Communications Director Nanea Ching. DOE offices also will close for the day. 

“We understand the importance of every instructional day, and decisions like these are not made lightly,” said DOE Superintendent Keith Hayashi. 

The governor’s office urged private schools to do the same and many did.

In Nāpili, Maui Preparatory Academy planned to close its campus on Monday, according to a social media post from the school. In Honolulu, ʻIolani School also closed its campus for the remainder of Sunday and all of Monday, according to an announcement on the private school’s website. All Kamehameha Schools campuses and preschool sites also will close on Monday. Punahou School had already scheduled no classes on Monday for its students, according to its website. Sunday evening, Le Jardin Academy in Kailua sent out a press release saying all classes, after-school programs and evening activities would be cancelled.

Some child care and early learning centers also reported closures for Monday, including Kamaʻāina Kids, which offers preschool and after-school programs for children across the state. All University of Hawaiʻi campuses also will close on Monday, and the university has cancelled in-person and online classes for the day. 

In Honolulu County, the gymnasium at Waipahu District Park was closed so that participants in the city’s homelessness program HONU could use it as shelter. Rail service in Honolulu was expected to continue normal operation, but bus and TheHandi-Van services could be impacted.

Although all YMCA of Honolulu branches and programs will be closed on Monday, the Central YMCA short-term accommodations will continue to operate.

Weather Forecast To Worsen

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch and high wind warning for all the main Hawaiian Islands that will remain in effect through Monday afternoon. Conditions are expected to improve on Tuesday, with some heavy rain and wind still lingering. 

Gusts had already reached over 60 miles per hour by midday Sunday, with the strongest winds expected through the evening and into Monday. Maui and Hawaiʻi island were expected to bear the brunt of heavy rain and wind, according to John Bravender with the National Weather Service. 

The Big Island saw 2 to 3 inches of rain per hour on Saturday, Green said. Parts of the state have already reported flash flooding. It isn’t just the amount of rain that concerns officials, but also how quickly it accumulates. Heavy rain in a short period of time saturates the soil, Bravender explained, increasing the risk of landslides and fallen trees.

The Hawaiʻi National Guard has been activated and is standing by with high-wheel vehicles that can cross flooded areas to deliver supplies or facilitate evacuations, according to Hawaiʻi Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan. 

As concerns about the storm grew, the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources closed all state parks and forest areas to the public Sunday afternoon. That included campgrounds and hiking trails as well as forest reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and game management areas. On Sunday evening, National Park Service announced it would close the Pearl Harbor National Memorial.

People Warned To Stay Home

While people may have had plans to get together to watch the Super Bowl and Olympics, officials urged everyone to stay put. 

“When you’re driving, be hyper aware out there,” Director of Transportation Ed Sniffen said. “There’s going to be reasons for people to stop in front of you that you don’t even expect.”

DOT crews on the Big Island had been out overnight to clear debris and address flooding on the Hāmākua Coast. On Sunday, officials closed Hāna Highway on Maui to all but local traffic due to reports of fallen trees and landslides. Traffic signals were reported out here and there on Oʻahu, sometimes snarling traffic.

On Maui, people who are unhoused are directed to go to the Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Center in Wailuku where shelter space will be open in the cafeteria. Officials there also were working with the American Red Cross to identify shelters in case of evacuations. The Red Cross announced a temporary evacuation site would open at 9 p.m. at the gym at King Kekaulike High School in Makawao to provide a safe place to gather.

The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA) website offers  guidance on how to prepare for severe weather and disasters at ready.hawaii.gov. You can also sign up for alerts from county emergency management agencies.

Civil Beat reporters Taylor Nāhulukeaokalani Cozloff, Noelle Fujii-Oride, Erin Nolan, Stewart Yerton and Ben Angarone contributed to this story.