Hawaii is bracing for a powerful storm this week that is expected to cause high winds, thunderstorms and possibly significant flooding on several islands.
Josh Green, the governor, said Monday that he had issued an emergency proclamation in response to the weather expected to hit his state in the coming days, in order to bring additional resources to affected areas.
“It’s going to be a pretty hectic week with the weather,” Green said in a video posted on social media. “Be very safe. Be especially safe on the roads.”
The National Weather Service (NWS) has warned that a “large, powerful Kona storm” will bring heavy rain, leading to flooding on smaller islands and urban areas, as well as potentially severe thunderstorms and wind gusts. It will first hit Kauai, Niihau and Oahu on Tuesday, before expanding to other islands in the coming days.
Later in the week, the islands could experience more damaging conditions, the governor’s office said in a statement.
The state closed several parks and trails in response to the forecast and urged people to avoid forested and coastal areas, citing the dangers of storm surge, high surf, rising currents and falling trees.
“Our priority is to keep the people of Hawaii safe,” Green said.
A flood watch is in effect through Saturday, and the NWS has said residents should be prepared by identifying evacuation routes and shelters, and planning for vulnerable pets and family members.
An NWS meteorologist told the San Francisco Chronicle that the islands could receive more than 20 inches of rain in some areas. “But that’s just a rough estimate,” Laura Farris said.
On Hawaii’s Big Island, Kilauea began erupting Tuesday, spewing fountains of lava up to 300 meters (1,000 feet) high and prompting warnings of falling glassy volcanic fragments and ash.
The eruption that began Tuesday morning marked the 43rd eruption since it began in December 2024. Like other times, the molten rock was confined within Kilauea’s summit crater within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and has not threatened homes or buildings.
But the lava fountains were creating problems for neighboring communities and a road where volcanic fragments and ash, known as tephra, fell. The tephra caused temporary closures in the national park around the summit and a partial closure of Highway 11, a major route around the island, on both sides of the park.
Hawaii County officials also opened a shelter at a district gym for residents and tourists affected by the road closure or falling tephra. The National Weather Service issued an ash fall warning.
Volcanic tephra can irritate the eyes, skin and respiratory system, according to county officials. Tephra can also clog and cause other problems in water catchment systems, which are common in some parts of the Big Island, officials said.
Associated Press contributed reporting
