Hawai‘i County to Reopen All Services Tuesday After Weekend Storm

Hawai‘i County announced it would resume normal operations Tuesday after a weekend storm that left saturated soils, heavy rain in parts of the island and a series of weather warnings. The county said nonessential services that closed Monday, including parks and solid waste facilities, were scheduled to reopen Tuesday, with transit and government offices returning to regular hours.

The National Weather Service had a flood watch in effect statewide and a High Wind Warning for Kohala, North Kona and Kaʻū until 6 p.m. on Feb. 9. A High Surf Warning for east-facing shores was in effect until 6 a.m. Tuesday, with waves up to 15 feet and strong currents expected. Maui County notices also cited a NWS Wind Advisory predicting east winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 50 mph and warned that "winds this strong can tear off shingles, knock down trees, blow away tents and awnings, impact power lines and make it difficult to steer, especially for drivers in high-profile vehicles."

Hawai‘i County Mayor Kimo Alameda warned residents the ground remained vulnerable after the storm. "While the forecast shows storm impacts diminishing today, there is still a potential for localized flooding and strong winds," Alameda said. "As we prepare to return to normal operations on Tuesday, the public should continue to exercise caution and stay off the roads unless necessary. The ground remains saturated, with some areas of Hilo and Hāmākua seeing more than 10 inches of rain, and it may not take much more rainfall to cause flooding or landslides."

Most state-level institutions likewise planned to reopen Tuesday, including public schools, public charter schools, the University of Hawaiʻi, Executive Branch departments, the Hawai‘i State Legislature and most of the Judiciary. Governor Josh Green thanked essential workers for keeping services running. "I want to thank all essential employees for reporting to work to keep the public safe and keep the state operating, while others were on Administrative Leave," he said. The state Supreme Court, however, will operate at partial capacity after a large banyan tree toppled in the storm.

Transit and municipal operations were also affected. Hele-On canceled routes 1, 2, 10, 12, 60, 75, 76, 80, 90 and 301 for the day, with normal bus operations scheduled to resume Tuesday. Maui County announced facility-specific reopenings for Tuesday, Feb. 10, including the Olowalu Recycling and Refuse Convenience Center, while crews would inspect parks before reopening and keep Kanahā Beach Park's third entrance closed for fallen tree removal. Most county pools were expected to reopen by noon Tuesday; call the Maui County pool hotline at (808) 270-8208 for updates.

The county established severe weather shelters at four locations on Sunday; locations were not provided in the notices available. Residents with storm damage were asked to file a Request for Assistance on the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Agency website or call Civil Defense at 808-935-0031. For life-threatening emergencies, call 911. The Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency offers online guidance and encourages residents to opt in for county alerts so officials can provide updates as inspections and recovery work continue.