Light to moderate rain across the islands as storm passes
By HPR News Staff
April 11, 2026 at 7:00 AM HST
A text-only version of HPR's website is available here.
The National Weather Service has canceled all flood watches in Hawaiʻi as the rain band meanders away from the islands.
Updated 7:30 p.m., Sunday, April 12
Two boulders fell down Oʻahu's Waimea Bay, resulting in the closure of Kamehameha Highway on Friday, Apr. 10. (1024x768, AR: 1.3333333333333333)
Honolulu emergency officials issued an evacuation order for Otake Camp in Waialua due to dangerous flooding Friday afternoon. It was lifted later that evening.
Honolulu City Councilmember Matt Weyer, who represents Oʻahu's North Shore, told HPR that people should continue to stay vigilant and avoid the roads when possible during heavy rain events.
He was grateful that there was time to prepare, including standing up an emergency operations center and having personnel deployed monitoring the situation on the ground.
"You can't prevent impacts from the weather, right? We're subject to what the weather brings us, but we can be as prepared as possible," Weyer said.
The City and County of Honolulu's Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement program transported 18 homeless people to shelter by Friday morning. Despite back-to-back Kona low storms, some people experiencing homelessness still chose to ride out the storm in their makeshift shelters.
"I do believe perceptions from the homeless community have changed. But again, we know a lot of people didn't take us up on our offers, and they're calling now and we'll go help them," said Dr. Jim Ireland, director of Honolulu's Emergency Services Department. "Hopefully we won't see any more of the stream rescues that the fire department has to deal with, because those are high risk, not only for the people caught under the bridges, but also the firefighter rescuers."
Although the state House conducted its floor session as scheduled Friday afternoon, it postponed all bills on third reading to Tuesday, April 14, to ensure that all members had the opportunity to vote. The decision was made because of the Governor's closure of most state offices due to the storm. The Senate continued its full business as scheduled.
The rain comes weeks after Kona low storms caused flash flooding and extensive property damage in communities across the state. For those storms last month, a Presidential Disaster Declaration has been approved. Gov. Josh Green said in a statement, "Being recognized as a major disaster is significant because it opens the door for additional federal resources and establishes a shared responsibility between the state and federal government to support our communities throughout our recovery."
Forecast through Friday, April 17, 2026 (1475x835, AR: 1.7664670658682635)
The state Department of Hawaiʻi has identified a new travel-related dengue case on Kaua‘i. Dengue is a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes. The agency said that the risk of transmission from this case is expected to be low, but officials are urging residents to remove standing water from storms where possible to limit mosquito populations.
Utilities
The Honolulu Board of Water Supply has topped off its water tanks in preparation for possible power outages from the storm. The board's water pumps run on electricity. If the power goes out, water can't be pumped up to the tanks from the underground wells. Residents are also encouraged to store water.
Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island and Maui Nui residents can track Hawaiian Electric power outages here. Kauaʻi residents can track KIUC outages here.
Sign up for emergency alerts from your county:
Hawaiʻi Public Radio exists to serve all of Hawai’i, and it’s the people of Hawai’i who keep us independent and strong. Donate today. Mahalo for your support.
The National Weather Service has canceled all flood watches in Hawaiʻi as the rain band meanders away from the islands.
Updated 7:30 p.m., Sunday, April 12
- The National Weather Service says “light to moderate rain will continue tonight over the western portion of the state,” while light showers are “likely to linger over the western end of the state for the balance of the week” namely for Kauaʻi and parts of Oʻahu.
- Trade winds are expected to return later in the week, and the National Weather Service adds that “for the first time in a while, there is no potential event on the horizon” when it comes to storm activity.
- The Waialua Recovery Center will be opening Monday at 10am to support people impacted by the storm. The center is accepting walk-ins, but appointments can be made through the Hawaiian Council website. The Center is at the Waialua Courthouse on Kamehameha Highway.
- Signs have been posted around Oʻahu's Kailua Bay near the Kāneʻohe Marine Corps Base Wastewater Treatment Plant due to a discharge of wastewater that exceeded the daily maximum permitted fecal indicator bacteria level. People should remain out of the water until further notice.
- The state Department of Health said heavy rain on Friday afternoon caused sewage to spill from the Wahiawā Wastewater Treatment Plant into Lake Wilson on Oʻahu. Health officials advised the public to stay out of the lake until further notice.
- Kamehameha Highway near Waimea Bay on Oʻahu has reopened to one lane of contraflow traffic following a rockslide on Friday afternoon. Motorists should expect delays and are asked to follow all posted traffic controls as crews continue working in the area.
- On Kauaʻi, the state Department of Land and Natural Resources has closed sections along the Kōkeʻe Contour Road due to erosion from the storm. Sections of the Contour Road between Haʻeleʻele Ridge Road (Trail 3) and Polihale Ridge Road (Trail 4), as well as between Polihale Ridge Road (Trail 4) and Kaʻaweiki Ridge Road (Trail 5) have closed to vehicles until further notice.
- About 140,000 gallons of wastewater spilled from the Waimea Wastewater Treatment Plant on Kauaʻi on Friday. The County of Kauaʻi said the spill occurred due to high flows from the heavy rains. The spill is believed to have reached the Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor and signs have been posted warning of the dangers of potential exposure.
- Real-time stream data is available through the United States Geological Survey's Water Data for the Nation website. Stream gauges throughout the islands are typically updated every 15 minutes to reflect changing conditions during heavy rainfall events.
- The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced federal tax relief for individuals and businesses in Hawaiʻi affected by recent severe storms, flooding and mudslides that began March 10. Residents and business owners now have have until July 8, 2026 to file federal tax returns and make tax payments that were originally due on or after March 10, 2026. IRS tax relief information and guidance can be found here.
- Oʻahu: Emergency shelters remain open and will continue operations through at least Tuesday due to the ongoing weather threat and potential for additional rainfall. They're located at the district parks in Kāneʻohe, Wahiawā, Mānoa and Waiʻanae, as well as Nānākuli High and Intermediate and Kahuku Elementary schools. Click here to see the locations and status of shelters.
Two boulders fell down Oʻahu's Waimea Bay, resulting in the closure of Kamehameha Highway on Friday, Apr. 10. (1024x768, AR: 1.3333333333333333)
Honolulu emergency officials issued an evacuation order for Otake Camp in Waialua due to dangerous flooding Friday afternoon. It was lifted later that evening.
Honolulu City Councilmember Matt Weyer, who represents Oʻahu's North Shore, told HPR that people should continue to stay vigilant and avoid the roads when possible during heavy rain events.
He was grateful that there was time to prepare, including standing up an emergency operations center and having personnel deployed monitoring the situation on the ground.
"You can't prevent impacts from the weather, right? We're subject to what the weather brings us, but we can be as prepared as possible," Weyer said.
The City and County of Honolulu's Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement program transported 18 homeless people to shelter by Friday morning. Despite back-to-back Kona low storms, some people experiencing homelessness still chose to ride out the storm in their makeshift shelters.
"I do believe perceptions from the homeless community have changed. But again, we know a lot of people didn't take us up on our offers, and they're calling now and we'll go help them," said Dr. Jim Ireland, director of Honolulu's Emergency Services Department. "Hopefully we won't see any more of the stream rescues that the fire department has to deal with, because those are high risk, not only for the people caught under the bridges, but also the firefighter rescuers."
Although the state House conducted its floor session as scheduled Friday afternoon, it postponed all bills on third reading to Tuesday, April 14, to ensure that all members had the opportunity to vote. The decision was made because of the Governor's closure of most state offices due to the storm. The Senate continued its full business as scheduled.
The rain comes weeks after Kona low storms caused flash flooding and extensive property damage in communities across the state. For those storms last month, a Presidential Disaster Declaration has been approved. Gov. Josh Green said in a statement, "Being recognized as a major disaster is significant because it opens the door for additional federal resources and establishes a shared responsibility between the state and federal government to support our communities throughout our recovery."
Forecast through Friday, April 17, 2026 (1475x835, AR: 1.7664670658682635)
The state Department of Hawaiʻi has identified a new travel-related dengue case on Kaua‘i. Dengue is a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes. The agency said that the risk of transmission from this case is expected to be low, but officials are urging residents to remove standing water from storms where possible to limit mosquito populations.
Utilities
The Honolulu Board of Water Supply has topped off its water tanks in preparation for possible power outages from the storm. The board's water pumps run on electricity. If the power goes out, water can't be pumped up to the tanks from the underground wells. Residents are also encouraged to store water.
Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island and Maui Nui residents can track Hawaiian Electric power outages here. Kauaʻi residents can track KIUC outages here.
Sign up for emergency alerts from your county:
Hawaiʻi Public Radio exists to serve all of Hawai’i, and it’s the people of Hawai’i who keep us independent and strong. Donate today. Mahalo for your support.