UPDATE: Flash flood warning canceled for Big Island; flood watch for state remains

Update at 4:52 a.m. Wednesday, April 8, 2026: The National Weather Service has canceled a flash flood warning for Hawai‘i County as flood waters have receded.

Flooding is no longer expected to pose a threat.

A flood watch remains in place for all Hawaiian Islands through Friday afternoon.

Update at 2:41 a.m. Wednesday, April 8, 2026: National Weather Service forecasters in Honolulu extended until 5 a.m. a flash flood warning for eastern and southeastern portions of the Big Island in Puna and Kaʻū

Radar and automated rain gauges continued to indicate at just before 2 a.m. Wednesday, April 8, that heavy rain — at a rate of 1 to 3 inches per hour — falling in the advisory areas, with the heaviest rainfall over the Puna coastline.

Flash flooding because of the heavy rain is ongoing.

Update at 12:18 a.m. Wednesday, April 8, 2026: A flash flood warning is in effect until 2 a.m. Wednesday, April 8, for portions of Puna and Kaʻū.

Flash flooding is either ongoing or expected to begin shortly in the warning areas.

Radar and automated rain gauges indicated shortly after 11 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, that heavy rain continued to fall over the eastern and southeastern portions of both districts, falling at a rate of 1 to 3 inches per hour.

The heaviest showers were over Puna.

Flooding is expected in drainages, streams, rivers, roads, properties and other low-lying areas. Public road closures are possible in some areas, and landslides are possible in steep terrain.

Some locations that will experience flooding include Hawaiian Paradise Park, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Volcano, Glenwood, Mountain View, Hawaiian Acres, Orchidland Estates, Pāhoa, Wood Valley, Pāhala, Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach, Kawa Flats, Nāʻālehu, Fern Forest, Eden Roc, Fern Acres, Kalapana, Kurtistown and ʻĀinaloa.

The public is advised to stay away from streams, rivers, drainage ditches and culverts, even
if they are currently dry.

Update at 9:01 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, 2026: The flood advisory in effect for east and southeast portions of the Big Island, specifically the downslope areas of Puna and Kaʻū, continues until 11:15 p.m. as excessive rainfall causing flooding continues.

Radar and automated rain gauges indicated at 7:52 p.m. Tuesday that heavy rain continued to fall — at rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour — over those downslope portions of the two districts.

Story originally posted at 6:58 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, 2026: National Weather Service forecasters in Honolulu issued a flood advisory in effect until 8:15 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, for downslope portions of Puna and Kaʻū because of flooding caused by excessive rainfall.

Radar and automated rain gauges indicated just after 5 p.m. that heavy rain, falling at a rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour, over those areas of east and southeast Hawaiʻi Island. Flooding on roads, poor drainage areas and in streams is expected in the advisory area.

Significant rises were observed on the Pāʻauhau Gulch River gauge near Pāhala in Kaʻū.

Some locations that will experience flooding include Hawaiian Paradise Park, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Volcano, Glenwood, Mountain View, Hawaiian Acres, Orchidland Estates, Pāhoa, Wood Valley, Pāhala, Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach, Kawa Flats, Nāʻālehu, Fern Forest, Eden Roc, Fern Acres, Kalapana, Kurtistown and ʻĀinaloa.

The public is advised to stay away from streams, drainage ditches and low-lying areas prone to flooding.