Historic Hawaii floods leave 2,000 people without power

Philip Holman flushes mud from his lifted truck's engine bay the day after it was fully submerged by the fast-moving flood in Haleiwa, Hawaii Saturday, March 21, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

HONOLULU — More than 2,000 people remained without power Sunday afternoon after Hawaii suffered its worst flooding in more than 20 years when heavy rains fell across the islands.

Heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours froma winter storm a week ago. Raging waters lifted homes and cars, causing an expected US$1 billion in damages. The storm prompted evaluation orders for 5,500 people north of Honolulu — though they were later lifted — and more than 200 people were rescued from the rising waters. No deaths have been reported as of yet, Molly Pierce, spokesperson for Oahu’s Department of Emergency Management, said Sunday afternoon.

By Sunday afternoon, Hawaiian Electric restored power to about 1,200 people in Waialua on the North Shore of O’ahu, according to the company. Customers’ power was proactively turned off Friday because of the flooding.

Crews continue to assess the damage and make repairs, and Hawaiian Electric expects to return power to 2,000 more people later Sunday. On Maui County about 100 people were without power Sunday afternoon, and all major outages were addressed on Hawai’i Island, according to the company.

The worst of the storms appear to be over, Hawaii meteorologist Matthew Foster told The Associated Press.

By Sunday afternoon, the weather shifted from widespread showers to scattered rain from Oahu, Maui County to Big Island, Foster said. Less than 5 inches (13 cm) of rain is expected for the Big Island, with between 1 to 2 inches (3-5 cm) in other areas.

Winds will pick up out of the northeast sides of the islands, which have more vegetation and can handle more rain, Foster said. It will take a couple days for the moisture to push past the islands, and drier and more typical March weather can be expected by Wednesday.

Additional flooding could still occur, but more on an isolated scale rather than widespread, Foster said.

A boil water notice remained in place Sunday for North Shore areas from Mokuleia to Turtle Bay, and residents were encouraged to report damages to the city.

Gov. Josh Green said the cost of the storm could top US$1 billion, including damage to airports, schools, roads, homes and a Maui hospital in Kula.

Officials were concerned that the 120-year-old Wahiawa dam could fail, though that worry has primarily passed since water levels have dropped, Pierce said. The dam continues to be monitored.

Winter storm systems known as “Kona lows,” which feature southerly or southwesterly winds that bring in moisture-laden air, have been responsible for the deluges in the past two weeks. The intensity and frequency of heavy rains in Hawaii have increased amid human-caused global warming, experts say.

Jessica Hill, The Associated Press