Kona Low Storm Damage on Hawaiʻi Island Could Exceed $59 Million

Preliminary damage assessments compiled by state and county teams put public infrastructure losses on Hawaiʻi Island from the March Kona low storms at more than $59 million, a figure officials said could climb as evaluations continue.

Gov. Josh Green and Mayor Kimo Alameda toured damaged sites together, inspecting a failed culvert and storm-battered road segments as crews worked to document the full scope of destruction. The joint tour signaled an early push to validate damage totals needed for potential federal disaster declarations and emergency funding requests.

Among the most concrete disruptions was Konawaena High School, which shifted to distance learning after flooding left the campus temporarily unusable for in-person classes. The closure illustrated how quickly a single storm event cascades through a community, displacing students, teachers, and families with little warning.

The $59 million figure covers public-sector losses: roads, culverts, school buildings, and other government-managed facilities across the island. It does not capture the full statewide picture. Broader estimates accounting for private property, agricultural losses, and tourism-related damage have been significantly higher when aggregated across all islands, situating Hawaiʻi Island's tally within a larger statewide recovery challenge.

County officials were coordinating with state partners on recovery timelines and laying the groundwork for potential requests through FEMA's Public Assistance program and other federal infrastructure grant mechanisms. Validated damage totals like the $59 million estimate are a prerequisite for those requests, making accurate documentation critical to securing outside funds rather than drawing from county maintenance budgets already strained by storm response.

Residents and business owners who sustained private-property losses were encouraged to keep detailed records and connect with relief programs and nonprofit assistance channels activated across the islands in the storm's aftermath.