A Kona low storm swamped Oahu, lifted homes off foundations, and forced 5,500 evacuations. The National Guard airlifted 72 people from a flooded youth camp.
A Kona low storm system stalled over Hawaii on March 20, 2026, dumping 8–12 inches of rain on parts of Oahu in a matter of hours — roughly a third of the island's normal annual rainfall compressed into a single event. Governor Josh Green has said damage could top $1 billion. More than 5,500 people were evacuated. The National Guard airlifted 72 people from a flooded youth camp. It is the worst flooding Hawaii has seen in two decades.
The images coming out of Oahu this week look like they belong to a different country. Homes lifted off foundations. Cars submerged to their rooflines. Muddy water flowing through neighborhoods that had never flooded before.
Governor Josh Green said the cost could top $1 billion. Airports, schools, roads, homes, and a hospital in Kula on Maui have all sustained significant damage. Parts of Oahu received between 8 and 12 inches of rain — roughly a third of what the area normally gets in an entire year — compressed into a period of hours.
“Governor Josh Green said the cost could top $1 billion.”
The trigger was a Kona low, a type of storm system common to the Hawaiian islands that draws moist subtropical air northward and stalls it over the island chain. This particular Kona low arrived as the second significant storm in a week, meaning the ground was already saturated before the flooding began. There was nowhere for the water to go.
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Key Takeaways
→Hawaii: The flooding caused an estimated $1 billion in damage, with parts of Oahu receiving 8-12 inches of rain in hours, forcing 5,500 evacuations and over 200 water rescues.
→Flooding: The flooding caused an estimated $1 billion in damage, with parts of Oahu receiving 8-12 inches of rain in hours, forcing 5,500 evacuations and over 200 water rescues.
→Weather: The flooding caused an estimated $1 billion in damage, with parts of Oahu receiving 8-12 inches of rain in hours, forcing 5,500 evacuations and over 200 water rescues.
→Oahu: The flooding caused an estimated $1 billion in damage, with parts of Oahu receiving 8-12 inches of rain in hours, forcing 5,500 evacuations and over 200 water rescues.
More than 5,500 people were under evacuation orders at the peak of the event. Over 200 were rescued from rising waters. The most dramatic rescue involved 72 children and adults who had been attending a spring break youth camp at a retreat called Our Lady of Kea'au on Oahu's west coast. The National Guard and Honolulu Fire Department airlifted them out by helicopter.
No deaths have been reported, and no one is unaccounted for. Given the severity of the flooding, that is a genuinely remarkable outcome — a testament to early warnings, first responder preparedness, and the decision to issue evacuation orders before the situation became unsurvivable.
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A 120-year-old dam also threatened to fail under the water pressure. As of Sunday, it was holding, but authorities had pre-positioned downstream evacuations as a precaution.
More rain was forecast through the weekend. A statewide flood watch extended through Sunday afternoon, with Molokai receiving its own evacuation warnings as the storm system moved east across the island chain.
For a state that markets itself as paradise — and generally delivers on that promise — weeks like this are a stark reminder. FEMA has approved Hawaii's disaster declaration request, and federal relief funds are expected to begin flowing within the week. The National Weather Service has described this event as a one-in-fifty-year storm. With warmer ocean temperatures feeding moisture into the atmosphere at higher rates, the interval between such events is likely to shrink.
#Hawaii#Flooding#Weather#Oahu#Kona Low#Flash Flood#Natural Disaster#Evacuation#National Guard#Climate#Governor Josh Green
The flooding caused an estimated $1 billion in damage, with parts of Oahu receiving 8-12 inches of rain in hours, forcing 5,500 evacuations and over 200 water rescues.
What caused the Oahu flooding 2026?
A Kona low storm system stalled over the Hawaiian islands, dumping massive rainfall on already-saturated ground from a previous storm, leaving nowhere for the water to drain.
Did anyone die in the Hawaii floods?
No deaths were reported despite the severity of the flooding, thanks to early warnings, first responder preparedness, and timely evacuation orders.
