Federal disaster declaration unlocks mortgage relief for Kona Low survivors

Homeowners still digging out from the Kona Low storms now have a concrete first step: call their mortgage servicer as soon as possible. Federal disaster status can trigger relief such as a 90-day foreclosure moratorium for FHA-insured forward mortgages, and lenders may also offer forbearance or waive late fees depending on the loan and the servicer.

That help became available after President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for Hawaiʻi on April 8, following Governor Josh Green’s formal request on March 24. Green said the back-to-back Kona Low systems caused catastrophic flooding, landslides and widespread damage across every county, with emergency crews carrying out evacuation orders, high-water rescues, swift-water rescues and helicopter extractions.

The declaration matters because it turns the storm response from cleanup into financial triage for families trying to keep their homes. HUD says borrowers in a presidentially declared major disaster area should contact their mortgage servicer quickly if they are facing disaster-related hardship, and the agency’s foreclosure protections for FHA-insured forward mortgages can keep lenders from starting foreclosure for 90 days.

For Big Island residents, the relief reaches beyond mortgage bills. The state is using Hale o Laʻiē and short-term rentals for households whose homes were rendered uninhabitable on the neighbor islands, and the Major Disaster Fund will pay for hotel stays for displaced residents. Families can call 211 or register at ready.hawaii.gov to get connected to help, including an interim Disaster Case Management Program.

The need stretched well beyond one island. The governor’s disaster request said about 5,000 Oʻahu North Shore residents were affected during the second storm, a reminder that the damage was statewide even as Big Island neighborhoods felt the flooding and wind firsthand. The Hawaiʻi National Guard also carried out evacuations at Otake Camp during severe flooding and continued debris removal and emergency logistics support.

Local officials treated the declaration as more than a paperwork milestone. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi called it a “meaningful and necessary step,” and Representative Sean Quinlan said the Major Disaster Fund would cover hotel stays for residents whose homes were made uninhabitable.

Hawaiʻi has used similar federal housing protections before, including disaster foreclosure guidance after the 2023 Maui County wildfires. For Kona Low survivors, the immediate message is straightforward: if the storm interrupted your income, damaged your home or put your mortgage at risk, the declaration now unlocks a federal framework designed to buy time before missed payments become a foreclosure crisis.