Lightning Strike Closes Hilo's Kawamoto Swim Stadium, Damages Pool Pump

A lightning strike on Monday, March 23, knocked out the pool pump at Charles "Sparky" Kawamoto Swim Stadium in Hilo, leaving the facility closed until further notice and forcing swimmers and programs to relocate across town.

The County of Hawaiʻi Department of Parks and Recreation shut the pool on Tuesday, March 24, after the pump became inoperable. Following consultations with an electrician and a pool pump repair contractor, county officials determined the pump must be completely removed and repaired off-site. That removal process is already underway.

The reason the facility cannot simply stay open in the interim: without an operable pump, the water cannot be properly filtered or circulated, creating a safety and health hazard. No workaround exists while the pump is out of service.

Parks and Recreation anticipates the closure will last at least two weeks, pending parts and labor, though no specific reopening date has been set. The department has not committed to anything beyond "until further notice."

To keep programs running, staff and some aquatics programs that were scheduled at Kawamoto are being reassigned to the NAS Swimming Pool, located near the airport. The county has not released a full list of which programs are affected or the adjusted schedule at NAS.

The strike landed during a stretch of heavy thunderstorms battering the Big Island, part of a series of Kona Low storm systems that have already strained Hilo crews responding to storm-related damage across the region.

Anyone with questions about the closure, program relocations, or the repair timeline can reach the county's Aquatics Section at 808-339-5491. Additional updates are being posted to the county's Aquatics web page as the repair progresses.