As the late winter storm passes down the islands, Hawaii Island is experiencing its full effects as of Friday.

The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Watch and Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Hawaii Island at 7:21 a.m. for areas of Kona and Kohala that will continue through Friday evening while a Flash Flood Warning was issued earlier for North and South Kohala, North and South Kona, and Kau, meaning flooding is imminent or occurring.

Late Thursday, Mayor Kimo Alameda signed an emergency proclamation in anticipation of the severe weather.

“We urge our residents to stay prepared and take extra precaution as severe weather moves across the island,” Alameda said in a news release. “Crews are working hard to ensure roadways are clear and to restore power to traffic intersections. We ask residents to remain off roadways if possible as weather conditions worsen and to stay connected to our emergency notifications.”

Officials announced seven emergency shelters were open with 11 available and ready to open as needed. Shelters are located at Waimea Community Center, Naalehu Community Center, Robert N. Herkes Gym, Yano Hall, Kekuaokalani Gym, Keaau Armory, and Pahoa Neighborhood Facility.

Those headed to shelters are reminded to bring emergency supplies including food, water, medications and other essential items.

All county campsites are closed, as well as the following county facilities: Mahukona Wharf, Carvalho Park, Panaewa Rainforest Zoo & Gardens, Keaau Armory (for normal daily activities), and Pahoa Aquatic Center.

The County Mass Transit Agency announced all Hele-On routes are scheduled to operate as normal except for the following that are canceled for Friday:

  • Route 1 (to Kona): 9:30 a.m.
  • Route 1 (to Hilo): 7:45 a.m.
  • Route 2 (to Kona): 4:30 a.m., 5 a.m.
  • Route 2 (to Hilo): 1:30 p.m.
  • Route 10
  • Route 60: 5:30 am
  • Route 75 (Southbound): 6:15 a.m., 6:55 a.m., 1:45 p.m.
  • Route 75 (Northbound): 7:10 a.m., 9:25 a.m., 2:45 p.m.
  • Route 76 (Eastbound): 5:45 a.m., 6:45 a.m.
  • Route 76 (Westbound): 6:30 a.m., 8:09 a.m.
  • Route 80 (to South Kohala Resorts/Kona): 3:15 a.m., 3:35 a.m., 4:15 a.m., 5 a.m.
  • Route 80 (to Hilo): 7:30 a.m., 1:55 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:35 p.m.
  • Route 90 (to South Kohala Resorts): 3:30 a.m., 5:40 a.m., 8 a.m.
  • Route 90 (to Oceanview): 7:15 a.m., 1:15 p.m., 3 p.m.

Officials also said delays, rerouting or cancellations could occur based on road conditions.

The National Weather Service also issued a Winter Storm Warning for the summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa from early Friday morning to 6 a.m. Saturday. NWS has forecast a strong winter low pressure system will bring periods of heavy snow through Friday night with total snow accumulations measuring 10 to 12 inches.

Because of widespread outages, Department of Water Supply customers islandwide are urged to restrict water use to essential needs only such as for drinking, cooking and hygiene purposes since a significant amount of electricity is required to supply safe drinking water.

As of 8 p.m. Thursday, Hawaiian Electric said about 8,000 customers were without power, the majority of them on the eastern side in the upper and lower Puna areas. They ask customers to plan for possible extended outages. People can report outages or downed power lines to the Trouble Line at 808-969-6666 and check the Hawaii Island outage map.

Jim Alberts, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president and chief operations officer, stated in a release on Thursday that their crews have been responding to outages with an increased restoration team. “As long as it’s safe, we’ll work continuously after the storm clears until all customers have power again,” said Alberts. “We thank our customers in advance for their patience with what could be a challenging couple of days. Please know that we’ll be out in force as soon as it’s safe to work.” 

The Hawaii Department of Health issued a Brown Water Advisory for the entire Hawaii Island, urging the public to stay out of brown, murky waters that could contain “higher than normal pollutant levels,” according to a release. Their recommendation is to stay out of the water for 48 to 72 hours after the rain has stopped and after the beach has been in full sun. DOH also advises the public to avoid swimming, wading in or drinking from freshwater streams or ponds to prevent leptospirosis.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation, as of 6:30 a.m. Friday, indicated no current ground stops had been issued by the FAA and recommends all travelers check with their airlines as they work to reschedule flights impacted by the weather on Thursday.

Residents are urged to secure any loose outdoor items, avoid unnecessary travel during the peak of the storm, charge all devices such as cell phones, laptops and keep flashlights and emergency supplies readily available.

Sign up for Civil Defense alerts at the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency website. Information is also available on their Facebook page. Check the County of Hawaii Hazard Impact Map for information on road closures, active hazards, weather alerts and more.

Editor's note: The article has been updated with the Brown Water Advisory issued by the Hawaii Department of Health. (January 31, 2025)