What Big Island residents need to know Sunday about Hurricane Nolo

The tropical storm warning previously in effect for the island has been canceled. As a result, there are no coastal watches or warnings currently in effect for the area.

A high surf advisory continues for east shorelines, and a high wind warning has been issued for Kohala.

While Hurricane Nolo has moved away south of the Big Island, heavy rain has fallen in Kaʻū, leading to flooding in the Waiōhinu area near Kamaʻoa Road and Kaʻalaiki Road in Nāʻālehu. Flooding has also occurred along Highway 11 in the areas of Honuʻapo and Kawā.

Highway 11 remains closed in Waiōhinu from Pinao Street to Kaʻalualu Road and between Nāʻālehu and Pāhala due to flooding. Roadblocks are set at the Nāʻālehu Police Station and the Punaluʻu Road.

Additionally, Highway 250, also known as the Kohala Mountain Road, remains closed due to high winds and hazardous conditions. Motorists are advised to avoid these areas and use alternate routes if possible.

The Hele-On Route 90 from Kaʻū to Kona is canceled today, and the solid waste facilities in Kaʻū are also closed due to flooding conditions.

As more rain is anticipated for the area, shelters are open at the Nāʻālehu Gym, the Robert Herkes Gym in Pāhala, and the Ocean View Community Center.

Visit the Hawai’i County Civil Defense Agency website or call Civil Defense at 808-935-0031 for additional information about shelter locations.

Below are details on shelters, closures, and other storm-related information.

Solid Waste Facilities in Kaʻū Closed Sept. 27

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 27, 2026

Due to flooding on Highway 11 in Kaʻū, the following County of Hawaiʻi solid waste transfer stations will remain closed today (Sunday, Sept. 27):Pāhala: 96-1250 Old Māmalahoa Highway.Wai‘ōhinu: 95-6155 Kaulia Road.Ocean View: 92-9017 Māmalahoa Highway. In addition, Hele-On Route 90 from Kaʻū to Kona is cancelled today because of flooding conditions.

Solid waste facilities

Due to flooding on Highway 11 in Kaʻū, the following County of Hawaiʻi solid waste transfer stations will remain closed Sunday, Sept. 27:

• Pāhala: 96-1250 Old Māmalahoa Highway
• Wai‘ōhinu: 95-6155 Kaulia Road
• Ocean View: 92-9017 Māmalahoa Highway

Shelters

Three Hawai‘i County public shelters remain open Saturday for anyone in flooded locations in the Waiʻōhinu and Nāʻālehu areas of Kaʻū:

• Nāʻālehu Elementary School gym, 95-5545 Māmalahoa Highway, Nāʻālehu.
• Robert N. Herkes Gym, 96-1219 Kamani St., Pāhala.
• Ocean View Community Center, 92-8924 Leilani Circle, Ocean View.

Those who seek refuge at any of the above public shelters should bring their own food, water and any necessary medicine they need for overnight and possibly longer. Shelters are pet-friendly; bring your own crate, leash, food and water.

The Salvation Army’s Hilo Overnight Safe Space, regularly serving houseless members of the community, will temporarily relocate to Hilo High School — location designated by Hawai‘i County to help weather the anticipated hazardous conditions.

Hawai‘i County operations

Hawai’i County will resume normal operations Sunday as Hurricane Nolo continues its westward trek away from the Big Island.

All solid waste facilities, including transfer stations, are scheduled to resume normal operations, and all county parks, including Hilo Municipal Golf Course and Panaʻewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens, also are scheduled to reopen.

Hele-On bus service is scheduled to resume for Routes 11, 40, 101, 201, 202, 204 and 401. Route 90 is scheduled to run at 5:40 a.m. from Pāhala and 2:45 p.m. from Kona. Hele-On’s Paratransit and shared ride taxi programs also will resume regularly scheduled services.

“We still could see rain and wind impacts through the weekend, so residents should remain cautious,” said Hawai‘i County Mayor Kimo Alameda. “Our first responders and partners remain ready to respond to any issues that may develop and we will continue to keep a close watch on this storm as it moves away from us.”

Nolo was about 165 miles south-southwest of South Point as of 5 p.m. Saturday, still a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph. The hurricane was moving west at 8 mph.

Kohala Mountain Road remained closed Saturday because of high winds and possible hazardous conditions. Highway 11 was closed in Waiʻōhinu from Pinao Street to Kaʻaluʻalu Road and between Nāʻālehu and Punaluʻu because of flooding.

Just 3 county public shelters — in Ocean View, Nāʻālehu and Pāhala — remained open Saturday. The county opened a total of 10 shelters prior to any impacts from Nolo.

Closures, cancellations and postponements

• Courts and Judiciary operations on Hawaiʻi Island (3rd Circuit): The courts were closed Friday. All hearings and trials scheduled during the closures will be rescheduled. Court orders will be issued extending filing deadlines affected by the closures. Orders will be posted on the Judiciary website. Deadline for documents due during the closure in the 3rd Circuit is extended until Sept. 28. Visit the Hawaiʻi Judiciary website for updates and more information and monitor online public case information at eCourt Kokua.
• Hawai‘i County Fire Commission: Canceled meetings scheduled Thursday and Friday. New dates will be announced.
• Hawai‘i Island libraries: All of them are closed Saturday. Programs also canceled. Check the state libraries website for updates.
• Several miles of Kohala Mountain Road (Highway 250), between Waimea and Hāwī , were closed Friday night because of dangerous driving conditions caused by high winds. All other major roadways and highways are open.
• Motorists are advised to continue to anticipate potential hazardous conditions and possible road closures.

Gov. Josh Green’s request for a pre-landfall presidential emergency declaration covering all four of the state’s counties was approved Friday by President Donald Trump.

Hawaiʻi Island Public Schools

All Hawai‘i public schools on the Big Island, as well as any activities including athletic events, were closed, canceled or postponed during the weekend.

Hawaiʻi Island college and university campuses

University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Hawai‘i Community College and all other university units were closed during the weekend. All school-sponsored activities, athletics, extracurricular activities and other school events also were canceled.

• University of Hawai‘i at Hilo women’s volleyball match against Hawai‘i Pacific University on Sunday postponed.
• Vulcan Booster Club’s “A Night of Champions” scheduled Saturday canceled.
• University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa men’s volleyball intrasquad scrimmage scheduled Sunday canceled.
• Photo meet-and-greet session scheduled at Big Island Candies canceled.

Volleyball match tickets purchased online will be refunded automatically through the AudienceView platform. For in-person purchases, contact the Vulcans Ticket Office at 808-932-7802.

Tickets and table purchases for the “A Night of Champions” dinner will be processed for a refund in the coming days.

State parks and Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park 

All Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources state parks on the Big Island are closed, including camping, forest reserves, Nā Ala Hele hiking trails, wildlife sanctuaries, natural area reserves, hunting and game management areas.

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is closed.

Kīlauea Military Camp lodging, Volcano House and Nāmakanipaio A-frame cabins remain open for registered guests only. Guests must shelter in place and should not recreate outdoors.

The Food Basket — Hawaiʻi Island’s food bank

The food bank warehouses in Hilo and Kailua-Kona are closed. Post-storm distributions will be announced as soon as conditions are safe. Call 808-933-6030 with any questions or additional information.

Bank of Hawai‘i

Bank of Hawai‘i Hawai‘i Island branches will remain closed until further notice. The bank will continue to assess the status of its branch network and update the public about branch closures and re-openings.

Bank of Hawai‘i’s Contact Center operations remain open to assist customers. The center can be reached at 808-643-3888.

Online and mobile banking as well as ATM services will continue to operate unless power interruptions are experienced.

Bank of Hawai‘i also will provide public updates on Facebook, Instagram and X as well as its website.

Other community closures and cancellations

• The second annual Hawai’i Isle Police Activities League Kawamoto Classic Swimming Event was canceled. Officials will determine at a later date if the event will be rescheduled.
• “World’s Largest Pet Walk” event Saturday at Queen’s North Hawai‘i Community Hospital in Waimea postponed.

Water conservation

Hawai‘i County Department of Water Supply officials asked customers to build an emergency supply of drinking water and conserve water, limiting tap water use to essential needs, including drinking, cooking and personal hygiene, until weather conditions improve.

Conservation will help preserve water in storage tanks for essential household needs and emergency firefighting.

Water Supply can be reached at 808-961-8050 during normal business hours. After-hours water emergencies can be reported at 808-961-8790. You can also email the department at dws@hawaiidws.org.

Young Brothers shipping schedule update

The shipping firm adjusted its sailing schedules and gate times to mitigate any impacts.

Sailing schedules

Kawaihae sailings

• The next expected sailing to Kawaihae is the regularly scheduled sailing Monday.

Honolulu to Hilo sailing; Saturday: RESCHEDULED

• The barge is now scheduled to depart Sept. 27 from Honolulu and estimated to arrive Sept. 29 in Hilo.
• Cargo from Hilo to Honolulu will be available upon notification.

All sailing schedules remain subject to change based on U.S. Coast Guard and Hawai‘i Department of Transportation Harbors Division decisions regarding harbor access, restrictions, reopening status and safe operating conditions.

Visit the Young Brothers website and sign up for customer notices. Young Brothers will continue to provide updates as they become available.

State roads

Hawai‘i Department of Transportation reminds the public about how to keep up with the latest road closures and other department news.

• Monitor weather-related traffic alerts on the department website for the latest roundup of storm-related closures, traffic alerts and travel advisories for state highways, airports and harbors. The page is active for Hurricane Nolo.

• Follow the department on social media. Social media is a quicker way to communicate information to media and the public. Find the state Transportation Department on Facebook, X and Instagram.
• Sign up to receive department news releases, road closure notices and travel alerts.

Spectrum

Spectrum will assess any damage to its network caused by Nolo following the storm. Once conditions are safe, technicians will work quickly to restore any affected services.

Hawaiian Electric

Hawaiian Electric is now monitoring high winds and dry conditions that could lead to an increased risk of wildfires throughout its service territories.

The utility firm implemented all safety measures to reduce wildfire risk during severe weather conditions. It also initiated a public safety power shutoff watch.

Crews overnight Friday and on Saturday responded to restore power to a total of nearly 660 Hawai‘i Island customers in lower Puna, Ocean View, Hāmākua, lower Puna, Ka‘ū and North Kohala.

Reporting an outage

Customers can report outages online or by calling the Hawaiʻi Island trouble line at 1-855-304-9191.

How to stay informed

• Hawaiian Electric website.
• Twitter/X: @HwnElectric; @hielectriclight
• Facebook.
• Mobile app: free download available on Apple App and Google Play stores

Stay informed

Sign up for Hawai‘i County Civil Defense emergency alerts, and pay attention to the Hawai‘i County Hazard Impact Map.

Be sure to check the National Weather Service Honolulu forecast office website for the latest information on impacts to your specific local community, including any changes to advisories, watches or warnings issued.