Good evening, Hawaii. Here are the main stories we've been following today:
Your Weather Planner
The combination of gusty trade winds, low humidity and dry fuels will result in fire weather concerns across the leeward section of the islands today. Outdoor burning is not recommended. Showers and clouds will favor the windward regions. Look for rain to become more widespread tonight through Friday as a weather disturbance crosses the area. Drier weather will return this weekend as the trade winds strengthen.
A Small Craft Advisory is in effect through 6 p.m. Thursday for Oahu Leeward Waters, Kaiwi Channel and all waters and channels surrounding Maui and the Big Island for east winds 15 to 25 kt, except north winds in Maalaea Bay.
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Today's Big Stories
1. Hawaiian Electric activites PSPS program
After activating its Public Safety Power Shutoff program early Wednesday, Hawaiian Electric announced has monitored conditions throughout the day and did not have to turn off the power to West Maui communities.
In an earlier news release, the utility had stated that it was going to shut off power to communities in West Maui at about noon due to the high risk of wildfires.
Hawaiian Electric has since called off its PSPS watch.
In addition, Hawaiian Electric is working to restore power to a non-PSPS outage in Upcountry Maui affecting roughly 150 customers.
Maui County areas that were under the Red Flag Warning include west and leeward Molokai; south, windward, leeward and mauka Lanai; leeward West Maui; Maui’s north and south Central Valley; South Maui; and Upcountry and South Haleakala, according to the National Weather Service.
People can call Hawaiian Electric’s PSPS hotline at 1-844-483-8666 toll free or visit the PSPS webpage for maps and information.
Activation of the PSPS program means the company is monitoring the weather, deploying personnel to monitor conditions and look for fire risks, coordinating with state and county emergency response officials, and urging customers to prepare for possible power outages.
2. FEMA extends housing assistance an extra year
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved a one-year extension of the Individuals and Households Programs for Hawaii, allowing those affected by the 2023 Maui wildfires to continue receiving financial and direct temporary housing assistance until Feb. 10, 2026.
“On behalf of our state, I want to express my gratitude to FEMA for this favorable response to my administration’s request,” said Gov. Josh Green. “The ongoing support FEMA and our other federal partners have provided has been crucial for the recovery of our people. I am reminded that when he visited Lahaina, President Joe Biden said he and his administration would be with our people for as long as it takes and we are humbly appreciative of that steadfast commitment.”
Hawaii Emergency Management Agency administrator James Barros thanked FEMA for approving continued support he said is greatly needed as survivors continue to recover from the unprecedented disaster.
“This additional year of support is vital for our Maui survivors and will help our community recover and heal from this disaster,” he said..
3. Red Flag Warning in effect for leeward areas on all islands starting 10 a.m. Wednesday
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the leeward areas of much of the state going into effect from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday.
A Red Flag Warning means conditions for fire are occurring or are imminent.
Strong winds with gusts up to 40 mph, low relative humidity and dry fuels are factors that can contribute to extreme fire behavior, and any occurring fires will probably spread rapidly. Therefore, outdoor burning, including cooking, are not recommended.
The Hawaii Department of Health has declared a “NO BURN” period for Kauai County from 9 a.m. Wednesday through noon Thursday, according to a county release. In addition, the Kauai Emergency Management Agency has been partially activated for the duration of the Red Flag Warning.
The warning may be extended, dropped or modified as conditions develop.
Visit the NWS website for updates or call the automated weather line:
- Oahu, 808-973-4380
- Maui, toll free 866-944-5025 or 808-944-3756
- Kauai, 808-245-6001
- Hawaii Island, 808-935-8555
4. Hawaii coaches react to announcement of future move from Big West to Mountain West Conference
One by one, University of Hawaii head coaches stepped up to the podium, looked into the cameras and addressed the new world order.
They did so with a sense of anticipation, but also with a tinge of uncertainty.
UH’s move to the Mountain West Conference as a full member, announced officially on Tuesday morning, will not take effect until July 1, 2026, leaving two years of competition in the Big West for most of UH non-football sports.
Athletic Director Craig Angelos met with his head coaches recently to gauge their reaction to an impending move to align most of UH’s 20 sports with football in the MWC.
“I would have to summarize by saying most, if not all of our coaches are certainly supportive of it,” Angelos said as he fielded questions at Tuesday’s presser in the Manoa Lower Campus athletic department office. “They know it’s probably best for the overall health of our program. But certainly, some are concerned about the additional travel requirements they’ll have to do.”
The California-centric Big West, of which Hawaii has been the lone member not located in the Golden State since 2012, offered a consistent and relatively convenient travel schedule for sports like basketball, volleyball, baseball and softball. UH teams could get to their destination, usually, with a five-hour flight, plus some bus rides around Southern California or up the Central Coast.
The Mountain West of 2026 will be much more far-flung, with some cities like Laramie, Wyo., Albuquerque, N.M., and El Paso, Texas, that will require multiple flights.
“This is not about the Big West being anything but gracious and wonderful,” UH women’s basketball coach Laura Beeman said. “It’s about the opportunity in the Mountain West and our football program, obviously that’s the driving force behind everything we do. It puts them in a better position for more money, better budgets.
“Throwing all the other sports that are eligible in there, I think it’s a great opportunity.”
Click the link above to read how coaches by sport responded to what a future in the Mountain West could look like.
5. Jimmy Carter casts ballot in Georgia at age 100
Just two weeks after turning 100, former President Jimmy Carter reached another milestone.
Early voting in Carter’s home state began on Tuesday and the former Democratic president had expressed his desire to vote for Harris as his health declined and after being in hospice care since early 2023. The United States’ longest-lived president has “been looking forward to casting that ballot for the last several months,” his grandson Jason Carter said on a Democratic National Committee press call on Tuesday.
The elder Carter’s absentee ballot was filled out and put in a drop box near Plains, Ga., his hometown, his family told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The peanut farmer-turned-politician served as Georgia’s governor from 1971 to 1975 and won the 1976 presidential election, serving one term before losing to Ronald Reagan in 1980.
Carter’s grandson said on Tuesday, as a record 300,000-plus Georgians cast their ballots on the first day of in-person early voting, that the former president would vote in “the next couple days."
Your Notes for Tomorrow
Thursday, Oct. 17
- Donald Trump speaks at Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner
- New York Comic Con, annual pop culture convention dedicated to cult comic books, films, TV shows, anime and gaming
- NATO defense ministers meeting opens
- Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report - Initial Claims
- 'Super Full Moon' visible, taking place when the moon is near its closest approach, or perigee, to Earth
- National Civil Rights Museum 33rd Freedom Award Ceremony, honoring individuals 'who have made significant contributions in civil rights and who have laid the foundation for present and future leaders in the battle for human rights'
In Case You Missed It
The skunk was first spotted on Thursday at the Pier 1 parking lot and was subsequently spotted in the area several more times before Hawaii Department of Agriculture inspectors were able to capture the animal. (Photo courtesy of Hawaii Department of Agriculture)
Skunk finally captured at Honolulu Harbor after evading inspectors for several days
Hawaii Department of Agriculture inspectors captured a skunk at Honolulu Harbor on Monday night after tracking the animal for several days.
The skunk was first spotted last Thursday by dock workers, who saw the mammal, which is known for its unpleasant scent, running around the parking lot at Pier 1 and reported the sighting to HODA's Plant Quarantine Branch around 3 a.m.
Inspectors set traps in the area, but did not capture the skunk.
On Monday at 8:30 p.m., USIO security reported seeing the skunk take shelter under a cargo container used for storage. Three inspectors responded and used a pole and wooden boards to coax the animal out of its hiding spot and capture it with a net, while braving the animal's odoriferous natural defense system.
HDOA is testing the skunk for rabies. The state agency said it’s not clear what ship the skunk hitchhiked to Oahu on and how long it has been here.