{"id":330389,"date":"2026-03-15T05:32:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T05:32:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/330389\/"},"modified":"2026-03-15T05:32:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T05:32:20","slug":"heavy-rain-and-strong-winds-forecast-through-the-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/330389\/","title":{"rendered":"Heavy rain and strong winds forecast through the weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A powerful Kona storm continues to batter the islands on and off, bringing possible flooding, high winds, and thunderstorms through the weekend.<\/p>\n<p>A flash flood warning for Maui, Moloka\u2018i, and parts of Hawai\u02bbi Island has been extended until 8 p.m. Saturday night.<\/p>\n<p>The entire state is under a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weather.gov\/hfo\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">flood watch<\/a> through Sunday night into Monday morning. Officials say additional rain on already saturated grounds could lead to sudden flooding. A winter storm warning is in place until 6 a.m. Monday for Hawai\u02bbi Island summits. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaiipublicradio.org\/local-news\/2026-03-13\/watch-advisory-warning-what-do-all-the-flood-alerts-mean\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">What does all the alert terminology mean?<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Crews with the Hawai\u02bbi Department of Transportation and contractors have been working to clear  trees, rocks, and other debris from roadways on all islands. Some roadways are <a href=\"https:\/\/hidot.hawaii.gov\/weather-traffic\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">closed due to flooding or other weather-related<\/a> conditions. Officials recommend staying put and to only travel if needed. <\/p>\n<p>All Maui Bus services remain suspended until further notice due to hazardous road conditions from the storm.<\/p>\n<p>The City and County of Honolulu\u2019s Department of Environmental Services is asking residents to conserve water to help reduce strain on the wastewater system. Heavy rains are causing inflow and infiltration into the wastewater system, placing additional pressure on pump stations and treatment facilities. Conserving water during helps lower the risk of sewer system overflows.<\/p>\n<p>The County of Maui Department of Water Supply also advises all residents and visitors to conserve water due to potential power and electronic system disruptions. Non-essential water use should be limited until weather conditions improve.<\/p>\n<p>On Kaua\u2018i, nearly 286,000 gallons of wastewater spilled approximately between Friday night and Saturday morning. The spill at the Waimea Wastewater Treatment Plant was due to high flows from the heavy rains and high infiltration and inflow from the storm. Officials say future spills may occur until the storm passes.<\/p>\n<p>Late Friday, emergency officials said that the Wahiaw\u0101 Dam in Central O\u02bbahu was at risk of failing due to high water levels, but by early morning, water levels remained consistent. A <a href=\"https:\/\/veoci.com\/v\/p\/dashboard\/zncjcrf9pn\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">prior evacuation notice<\/a> for downstream residents in Hale\u02bbiwa and Waialua was canceled.<\/p>\n<p>The Otake Camp area in Waialua is no longer under an evacuation order. An emergency shelter will remain open at Waialua High. <\/p>\n<p>Flooding threats remain possible due to saturated soil conditions and moderate continuous rainfall rates. Roads may be impassable due to standing water, landslides and fallen trees. <\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\"A photo provided by Maui County shows flooding from days of downpours in H\u0101na, Hawai\u02bbi, on Friday, March 13, 2026.\"  width=\"880\" height=\"587\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773552739_517_.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>    A photo provided by Maui County shows flooding from days of downpours in H\u0101na, Hawai\u02bbi, on Friday, March 13, 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Officials advised postponing outdoor activities or travel until early next week when the storm begins to drift northward away from the islands.<\/p>\n<p>The islands could experience winds of 25 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. Gusts on the summits of Maui and Hawai\u02bbi Island could reach up to 110 mph. A high wind warning for Maui and Hawai\u02bbi counties has been extended through 6 p.m. Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\"\"  width=\"880\" height=\"497\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773552740_141_.jpeg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Hawai\u02bbi Emergency Management Agency<\/p>\n<p>\/<\/p>\n<p> NOAA<\/p>\n<p>Hawaiian Electric said that, as of Saturday afternoon, about 76,000 customers were without power on O\u02bbahu; 14,000 customers in parts of Maui County; and 25,000 customers on Hawai\u02bbi Island.<\/p>\n<p>On O\u02bbahu, a majority of those without electricity are in the windward and east Honolulu areas due to storm-damaged high-voltage transmission lines that traverse the Ko\u02bbolau Mountain Range. A crew helicopter was cleared around 11 a.m. to inspect the damaged lines. Depending on the results, restoration could take anywhere from hours to days or even longer, HECO said.<\/p>\n<p>Flooding, vegetation and other debris must be cleared in other remaining areas of Upcountry, Central, H\u0101\u2018iku, and East Maui for crews to access before damage assessments and potential repairs can begin when weather conditions are deemed safe<\/p>\n<p>On the Big Island, the majority of the outages are in the Puna area. North and South Kona, North Kohala, and South Point are also experiencing outages.<\/p>\n<p>O\u02bbahu, Hawai\u02bbi Island and Maui Nui residents can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaiianelectric.com\/safety-and-outages\/power-outages\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">track Hawaiian Electric power outages here<\/a>. Kaua\u02bbi residents can <a href=\"https:\/\/kiuc.coop\/outage-center\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">track KIUC outages here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Sign up for emergency alerts from your county:<\/p>\n<p>Have low bandwidth? Read HPR articles on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaiipublicradio.org\/text\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">text-only version of our website.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The state Department of Land and Natural Resources has closed state parks and properties. All camping permits through next week have been canceled, and none will be issued for the rest of this week.<\/p>\n<p>The National Park Service closed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/hale\/index.htm\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Haleakal\u0101 National Park<\/a> on Maui from sunset Thursday through at least sunrise on Sunday. \u201cWe will open the park as soon as it is safe to do so,\u201d park Superintendent Natalie Gates said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Parts of Hawai\u02bbi Volcanoes National Park are closed or will close, including the Maunaloa summit. Road access is already impacted near K\u012blauea&#8217;s Halema\u02bbuma\u02bbu Crater due to cleanup after the recent eruption. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/havo\/index.htm\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Check the park website for the latest.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The City and County of Honolulu&#8217;s Department of Emergency Management has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.honolulu.gov\/dem\/homedamage\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">an online form<\/a>  O\u02bbahu residents can fill out to self-report damage to their homes. The purpose of the form is to collect information that will help local officials understand the damage and impacts the storm had on the community. The City will also use this information to determine whether it can request assistance from federal programs.<\/p>\n<p>The Hawai\u02bbi Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) Insurance Division is reminding residents to review their insurance policies and to file claims quickly. Starting claims promptly helps ensure coverage is applied correctly and delays are avoided. It has a <a href=\"https:\/\/cca.hawaii.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/hi-post-disaster-claims-guide.pdf\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">post disaster claims guide<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ZqE3LzsafFk\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">a video on how to file an insurance claim<\/a> for additional help.<\/p>\n<p>On Kaua\u02bbi, county officials said they\u2019ve received multiple reports of price gouging. Hawai\u02bbi law prohibits price increases during a state of emergency, and anyone caught doing so may be fined up to $10,000.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese protections are meant to ensure that families can still access necessities like food, water, fuel, and other important supplies when they need them most,\u201d Alden Alayvilla, the communications officer for Kaua\u02bbi County, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Maui and Honolulu counties have not received reports of similar activity. Reports can be made to <a href=\"https:\/\/web2.dcca.hawaii.gov\/ocpcomplaint\/?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the state DCCA<\/a>. Officials recommend taking photos of the price or keeping the receipt.<\/p>\n<p>Hawai\u02bbi Public Radio exists to serve all of Hawai\u2019i, and it\u2019s the people of Hawai\u2019i who keep us independent and strong. <a href=\"https:\/\/members.hawaiipublicradio.org\/?src=NEWS25\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Donate today<\/a>. Mahalo for your support.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A powerful Kona storm continues to batter the islands on and off, bringing possible flooding, high winds, and&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":330390,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[156,157,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-330389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-entertainment","tag-music","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=330389"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330389\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/330390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=330389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=330389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=330389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}