Public Service · NEWS EXPLAINER
Hurricane Nolo: Hawaiʻi Flood and Surf Risks on September 26–27
The hurricane watch has been dropped and Hawaiʻi County plans to resume normal operations Sunday, but heavy rain, flooding, wind and dangerous surf remain concerns as Nolo tracks west.
Historical weather snapshot through September 26, 2026, 10:55 p.m. HST (September 27, 08:55 UTC). The canceled hurricane watch below refers to Hawaiʻi County at that time, not every later watch or warning anywhere in the island chain. Use the linked National Weather Service Honolulu page for current hazards by island and location.
Hurricane Nolo is moving west of Hawaiʻi after passing south of the islands, reducing the direct-landfall threat but not ending the weather risk. Hawaiʻi Public Radio reported late Saturday that the hurricane watch had been dropped and Hawaiʻi County planned to resume normal operations Sunday, while flood, wind and high-surf hazards remained in parts of the state.
The practical message is mixed: conditions are improving enough for some operations to restart, yet heavy rain and debris have already affected roads and dangerous surf can outlast the closest approach of the storm. Residents and visitors should use current county, National Weather Service and transportation alerts for their exact location rather than treating the end of a hurricane watch as an all-clear.
A weaker direct threat does not mean the hazards are over
The storm center was expected to remain south of the islands rather than make a direct landfall, and the hurricane watch was dropped. That is a meaningful improvement in the forecast posture, but it does not erase flooding, gusty-wind or surf hazards produced by the storm’s broad circulation.
Hawaiʻi Public Radio’s late update said tropical, flood, high-wind and high-surf hazards were still in effect in parts of the state. AP likewise reported that officials continued to warn people away from flooded roads and dangerous conditions even as the center moved west.
Road impacts show why location-specific alerts still matter
Hawaiʻi Public Radio reported that Māmalahoa Highway in Waiʻōhinu had been closed because of flooding and debris while nearby Nāʻālehu was receiving heavy rain. AP also described partial closures on a main Big Island highway as the storm passed south of the island.
Those reports are specific observations, not a statewide damage count. Travelers should check the exact county and road they plan to use, avoid driving through standing or moving water, and expect conditions to differ sharply between windward slopes, shoreline areas and locations farther from the storm.
What to watch as Nolo continues west
NOAA’s storm-page advisory history puts the 90-mph sustained wind estimate and westward movement at 8 mph at 03:00 UTC September 27, or 5 p.m. HST September 26. Satellite imagery viewed at 08:10 UTC was a separate observation; an image timestamp should not be used to date the wind estimate. These figures describe that earlier advisory, not Nolo’s present intensity.
For Sunday plans, treat reopening announcements and hazard warnings as separate pieces of information. A county office or service can resume while beaches, low roads or exposed coastal areas remain unsafe. Recheck official weather, ocean and transportation guidance immediately before travel or shoreline activity.
