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Hurricane Nolo lashes Hawaii's Big Island from offshore as it turns west; federal emergency declared

Hurricane Nolo began turning west Saturday about 160 miles south of Hawaii's Big Island, and forecasters canceled the island's hurricane watch. The storm is still bringing tropical-storm winds, heavy rain and dangerous surf to an island that is still recovering from Hurricane Lala. President Trump approved a pre-landfall emergency declaration on Friday.

By US Brief desk · Updated 2026-09-26T16:10:00-07:00

NOAA GOES-15 satellite image of Hurricane Lane south of Hawaii's Big Island in August 2018 (file photo; not Hurricane Nolo)

Editor’s note: Storm position, intensity, watches and warnings, and the rainfall forecast follow Central Pacific Hurricane Center advisories as reported by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Hawaii Tribune-Herald on Sep 26, 2026 (11 a.m. HST advisory), plus The Weather Channel's 5–6 p.m. EDT update. Details of the emergency declaration follow FEMA as reported by the Star-Advertiser. The comparison with Hurricane Dot in 1959 is The Weather Channel's, based on NOAA's database. Times are Hawaii time (HST) unless marked PT. The forecast can change; confirm against the latest CPHC advisory.

Hurricane Nolo began a long-awaited turn to the west on Saturday after sitting almost stationary south of Hawaii's Big Island overnight. Forecasters canceled the island's hurricane watch late Saturday morning, but the storm is still pushing tropical-storm-force winds, bands of heavy rain and large surf across the island chain. Parts of Hawaii island are still recovering from Hurricane Lala in August.

Where the storm is: At 11 a.m. HST (2 p.m. PT), the Central Pacific Hurricane Center put Nolo's maximum sustained winds at 90 mph, with the center about 160 miles south of South Point and 340 miles south-southeast of Honolulu, moving west at 5 mph, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. That is down from a strong Category 2 with 105-mph winds early Saturday. Hurricane-force winds reached up to 35 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds up to 150 miles.

Watches and warnings: The Big Island remains under a tropical storm warning, and Maui County remains under a tropical storm watch. A flood watch covered Hawaii and Maui counties through Saturday afternoon. The National Weather Service has a wind advisory for Oahu and Kauai County through 6 p.m. Sunday, with east winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts to 55 mph, and a high surf advisory for east- and southeast-facing shores, where waves of 9 to 12 feet are expected.

What people are seeing: CPHC reported a 62-mph gust at a higher elevation on the northwest Big Island and a 60-mph gust at Hanaula in the West Maui mountains. The Weather Channel said more than 7 inches of rain had fallen on parts of the Big Island. Hawaiian Electric was working early Saturday to restore about 626 customers in Ocean View, Hamakua, lower Puna, Kau and North Kohala. Hawaii County Civil Defense said Kohala Mountain Road (Highway 250) was closed for high winds, and 10 county shelters were open.

Rain is the main threat: CPHC's morning advisory called for storm totals of 10 to 20 inches, with isolated amounts up to 25 inches, over eastern and southern parts of the Big Island, and 4 to 8 inches (up to 10) over eastern Maui. Forecasters warned of significant, life-threatening flooding and mudslides in steep terrain. The weather service also warned that a storm surge of 1 to 3 feet, combined with high tide, could flood normally dry coastal areas. State transportation officials told the Star-Advertiser that Hilo Bayfront is expected to flood and that parts of Route 11 could see 1 to 2 feet of water.

Federal help: President Donald Trump approved a pre-landfall emergency declaration on Friday at Gov. Josh Green's request, according to FEMA. It covers Hawaii, Maui and Kauai counties and the City and County of Honolulu. FEMA said emergency protective measures will be funded under its Public Assistance program at a 75% federal cost share. Support can include incident-management staff, swift-water rescue teams, large generators for hospitals and water systems, and help restoring the power grid. Hawaii island ports were placed under Condition Zulu, which suspends operations, and some flights to Hilo were canceled.

Why it matters: Lala passed just south of the Big Island on Aug. 15. It killed two people in flooding in Naalehu and damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes in the Kau district, and crews have spent the past week clearing streams and culverts ahead of Nolo. The Weather Channel said Nolo is the closest a storm this strong has come to the Big Island since Hurricane Dot in 1959, and the fourth system this season to at least graze the state.

What's next: Forecasters expect Nolo to speed up and strengthen over warmer water into a major hurricane, peaking around 130 mph late Sunday night as it passes hundreds of miles south-southwest of Kauai. It is then expected to turn northwest and weaken to a Category 1 far west of Kauai by Tuesday. "The models agree that Nolo will be clear of the main Hawaiian islands by the time it makes this turn," CPHC forecasters said.

Uncertainty: Forecasters warned that slow-moving storms can wobble. A northward jog would bring stronger winds to the Big Island, and heavy rain in the outer bands can continue after the closest approach. Officials urged residents not to drive through floodwater and to follow county evacuation guidance.

Method note: US Brief digests are AI-assisted from the US Brief desk. We synthesize reputable reporting with cited sources; we do not invent quotes, figures, or forecasts.

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Hurricane Nolo lashes Hawaii's Big Island from offshore as it turns west; federal emergency declared

Hurricane Nolo began turning west Saturday about 160 miles south of Hawaii's Big Island, and forecasters canceled the island's hurricane watch. The storm is still bringing tropical-storm winds, heavy rain and dangerous surf to an island that is still recovering from Hurricane Lala. President Trump approved a pre-landfall emergency declaration on Friday.

By US Brief desk · Updated 2026-09-26T16:10:00-07:00

AI-assisted digests from the US Brief desk. Synthesizes reputable reporting with cited sources; not a wire service. Corrections welcomed.

NOAA GOES-15 satellite image of Hurricane Lane south of Hawaii's Big Island in August 2018 (file photo; not Hurricane Nolo)

Hurricane Nolo began a long-awaited turn to the west on Saturday after sitting almost stationary south of Hawaii's Big Island overnight. Forecasters canceled the island's hurricane watch late Saturday morning, but the storm is still pushing tropical-storm-force winds, bands of heavy rain and large surf across the island chain. Parts of Hawaii island are still recovering from Hurricane Lala in August.

Where the storm is: At 11 a.m. HST (2 p.m. PT), the Central Pacific Hurricane Center put Nolo's maximum sustained winds at 90 mph, with the center about 160 miles south of South Point and 340 miles south-southeast of Honolulu, moving west at 5 mph, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported. That is down from a strong Category 2 with 105-mph winds early Saturday. Hurricane-force winds reached up to 35 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds up to 150 miles.

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