Hurricane Nolo stalls near Hawaii, testing soaked ground

By Daniel Okafor · Reporting from New York · September 27, 2026

Hurricane Nolo stalls south of Hawaii's Big Island, unleashing heavy rain on saturated soil and threatening infrastructure already weakened by Hurricane Lala.

The water on the land Hurricane Nolo sits 145 miles south of Hawaii’s Big Island as a Category 2 storm with 105 mph winds. It moves west, The Washington Post and The Weather Channel reported. Warm sea surface temperatures and abundant moisture fuel its growth. Forecasters expect the storm to strengthen into a major hurricane.

The danger lies in the pause. Nolo stalls near the island instead of passing cleanly by. Rain falls on slopes that have not dried out since August. Hurricane Lane in 2018 also stalled near the islands, bringing extreme rainfall and flooding to the Big Island. Hurricane Lala brought 20 to 30 inches of rain to the Big Island last month. That storm swept about 100 homes off their foundations, PBS reported.

Repeated tropical systems hitting the same region in a single season creates cumulative flood risk and infrastructure vulnerability, matching the mechanism seen during Hurricane Lala.

Rainfall totals already exceed 12 inches in parts of the Big Island. Laupahoehoe recorded nearly 10 inches of rain for the 24 hours ending at 4 p.m. Saturday. Hawaii News Now and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser report that eastern and southern storm totals will reach 10 to 15 inches.

Why the ground gives way Water runs off saturated soil and meets closed roads. Emergency management expanded the closure of Highway 11 in both directions between Pinao Street and Kaalualu Road in Waiohinu due to flooding. Kaalaiki Road is closed near the intersection with Highway 11 in Naalehu.

The HCDA said the Kau district is experiencing heavy rain and some flooding in Waiohinu. Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda said "Kau, Waiohinu and Naalehu are areas of concern."

Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center, warned residents to stay indoors. "Don't venture out if you don't have to into the dangerous flooding environment, but also high winds. We can have trees and power lines down," Brennan said, according to reporting by PBS.

High wind warnings remain in effect for portions of the Big Island and Maui County. East winds blow at 30 to 45 mph with gusts up to 75 mph. Hawaiian Electric Co. reported 626 people without power across several communities on Saturday.

The Pacific runs hot and breaks records Nolo is the strongest hurricane to impact the Big Island in 67 years. Only Hurricane Dot in August 1959 tracked within 150 miles of the island as a major hurricane, NOAA's hurricane database cited by The Weather Channel shows.

Nolo is the fourth system to graze Hawaii recently. It follows Hurricane Lala in mid-August, Tropical Storm Moke, and Hurricane Lowell. PBS noted that Hurricane Lowell occurred in Kauai in September 2026. Bob Oravec, National Weather Service lead forecaster, said Pacific storm activity is running above average, which is consistent with El Niño years.

Brian McNoldy, a hurricane expert at the University of Miami, told the Jamaica Gleaner that conditions are ramping up to be perhaps the strongest El Niño on record. Matthew Rosencrans, lead hurricane season forecaster with NOAA’s National Weather Service, said the eastern and central Pacific have seen four more tropical storms than normal to date. Three Pacific hurricanes reached Category 5 strength this year, tying a record set in 2002.

President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for Hawaii on Friday, September 25, 2026, authorizing FEMA to coordinate assistance. Governor Josh Green issued an emergency proclamation and activated the Hawaii National Guard. The nonprofit group CORE shipped camp stoves and hygiene products by air cargo from Oahu to the Big Island.

Andrea Gill, a resident of Hilo, told PBS: "I hope it stops just sitting there and moves and goes somewhere else." She added: "We're used to lots of rain. We're not used to wind. So it's always a blessing when we don't get the wind from the hurricane."

The soil on the Big Island cannot hold another drop. When storms arrive back to back on the same slopes, the infrastructure fails long before the wind stops.

Hurricane Nolo stalls near Hawaii, testing soaked ground

Why the ground gives way Water runs off saturated soil and meets closed roads. Emergency management expanded the closure of Highway 11 in both directions between Pinao Street and Kaalualu Road in Waiohinu due to flooding. Kaalaiki Road is closed near the intersection with Highway 11 in Naalehu.

The Pacific runs hot and breaks records Nolo is the strongest hurricane to impact the Big Island in 67 years. Only Hurricane Dot in August 1959 tracked within 150 miles of the island as a major hurricane, NOAA's hurricane database cited by The Weather Channel shows.

Sources