Hurricane Hone strands 17 visitors on Mauna Kea

Mauna Kea Access Road is temporarily closed after winds and rain from Hurricane Hone cracked the road, caused landslides near the Mauna Kea observatories and stranded 17 visitors.

The road will be closed till Wednesday to allow crews with University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Center for Mauna Kea Stewardship to repair the area.

According to CMS officials, the weekend tropical storm, which strengthened into a hurricane, lashed the summit with 100 mph winds and heavy rain on Aug. 24. On the same day, visitors four miles below the Visitor Information Center on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands were stranded after a large tree blocked the roadway.

The rangers transported the group to the VIS, where they were provided with shelter and refreshments while Department of Transportation crews cleared the road.

Nahua Guilloz, director of stewardship at CMS, commended the rangers and staff for their work in helping the visitors, adding the crew is working to reopen the roads safely and as quickly as possible.

CMS crews equipped with road repair equipment are filling and repairing the area to address the damage. The Visitor Information Station, located in the mountain’s mid-level elevation is open to visitors.

Updates on repairs and the road closure will be provided as more information becomes available.

The UH Hilo Center for Mauna Kea Stewardship jointly manages Mauna Kea with the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority. The authority assumes full management of the summit lands by July 1, 2028.