A Year of Storms

Aloha kākou. What a year on Hawaiʻi Island.

Two back-to-back Kona lows in March. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake under South Kona in May. Hurricane Lala in August, with Tropical Storm Moke right behind it. And this week, Hurricane Lowell swinging past the western end of the island chain.

Even for those of us who grew up here, it's been a lot. My heart is with everyone still cleaning up — especially our ʻohana in Kaʻū and South Kona, who have taken hit after hit.

This issue is a little different. Below is a plain-language recap of each event, what it revealed about how land and homes hold up on this island, and a short checklist for owners, buyers, and families caring for land.

2026 at a Glance

• Mar 10–24Back-to-back Kona lows
• May 22Magnitude 6.0 Hōnaunau–Nāpōʻopoʻo earthquake
• Aug 15–16Hurricane Lala, followed days later by Tropical Storm Moke
• Sep 7–8Hurricane Lowell passes west of the main islands

MarchThe Kona Lows

Kona lows come at us from the south and west — the "wrong" direction — which means the leeward side that's usually dry takes the hit.

The first storm arrived March 10 and lingered for days, pushing rainfall past a foot on every island. A second Kona low followed about a week later and dropped more rain onto ground that was already saturated.

Here at home, flash flooding sent water rushing downslope through Kealakekua near Kona Community Hospital and into homes. Greenwell Farms, one of Kona's oldest coffee farms, lost its water supply and saw floodwater run through the farmhouse. Wind tore the roof off a restaurant on Aliʻi Drive, Highway 11 through Waiʻōhinu turned into a river, and thousands lost power across the island. (A federal disaster declaration followed in April; that FEMA application window has since closed.)

MayThe Kona Earthquake

At 9:46 p.m. on Friday, May 22, a magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck about 7 miles south of Hōnaunau and Nāpōʻopoʻo, roughly 14 miles deep. It was felt across the state.

USGS says this one wasn't volcanic. It was caused by the sheer weight of the islands bending the ocean plate beneath us — a reminder that seismic risk here isn't limited to the areas near Kīlauea.

At least five homes were destroyed and more than 140 residential properties were damaged. Some post-and-pier homes in South Kona shifted or dropped off their foundations. Rockslides — some boulders five feet across — closed Highway 11, Nāpōʻopoʻo Road and Miloliʻi Road overnight, and many families found cracked or damaged water catchment systems. A magnitude 4.1 aftershock rattled the same area in August.

Federal help is now available — deadline Nov. 1

On September 1, a federal major disaster declaration (FEMA-4936-DR) was approved for the Kona earthquake. Eligible Hawaiʻi County residents may qualify for:

• Temporary housing if you can't stay in your home
• Basic repairs to make a primary residence safe and livable
• Repair or replacement of damaged residential water catchment systems
• Help with other essential disaster-related expenses

SBA low-interest physical damage loans are also available, with the same Nov. 1 deadline.

File with your insurance company first — FEMA can't pay for losses your policy already covers, but it may help with what insurance doesn't. State officials are encouraging people to apply even if you're unsure you qualify. This declaration covers the earthquake only, not Lala or Lowell.

AugustHurricane Lala

On August 15–16, Hurricane Lala's eyewall brushed the southern tip of the island. It's been widely reported as the first hurricane to directly strike Hawaiʻi Island since 1871.

The rain was historic. Laupāhoehoe recorded more than 43 inches, over 20 inches fell at 15 different spots around the island, and Nāʻālehu saw 4.4 inches in a single hour. Flash floods swept homes off their foundations in Nāʻālehu and Waiʻōhinu. Highway 11 washed out in front of Pāhala Hospital and near Nāʻālehu, cutting Pāhala off completely — no power, no running water, no sewer. Power lines came down along the Hāmākua coast, and it even snowed on Mauna Kea.

Damage on our island neared $50 million, and Kaʻū lost neighbors. Tropical Storm Moke brought more rain just days later.

Where things stand: the state rebuilt the Highway 11 washouts by August 24, with finish work continuing into September. Temporary housing help is still available for those affected by Lala and Moke (see Resources).

SeptemberHurricane Lowell

After peaking as a powerful major hurricane, Lowell tracked west of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau on September 7–8. Kauaʻi took the brunt.

For Hawaiʻi Island, Lowell's winds never reached us. Forecasters had warned of up to a foot of rain, but we stayed on the outer edge of the moisture, and Civil Defense reported no flood damage as of September 9.

What we did get was big surf. A high surf warning covered our south- and west-facing shores, and conditions off Kona were rough enough that a cruise ship couldn't run its tenders and stayed an extra day in Hilo instead. Leftover tropical moisture is still hanging around: as of this writing, a flood advisory covered parts of South Kona and Kaʻū, including Ocean View, Nāʻālehu, Kāwā Flats and Miloliʻi.

Hurricane season runs through November 30. We're not done yet.