Hawaii governor orders statewide closures as storm threat intensifies

Governor Josh Green issued an emergency proclamation and ordered statewide closures Monday as the National Weather Service warned heavy rain, flash flooding and damaging winds across all Hawaiian islands. The proclamation, released by the governor’s office Feb. 8, is effective through Feb. 11 and may be extended as conditions warrant, and officials urged residents to prepare and stay informed.

All state offices were closed Monday, Feb. 9, and affected state employees will receive administrative leave for the day, the governor’s release said. Essential personnel and emergency responders were told to follow guidance from their supervisors. The Hawaii State Legislature, all University of Hawaiʻi campuses and Department of Education schools were also closed; DOE offices are closed as well. The Judiciary closed courthouses statewide, extended filing deadlines to Tuesday and said hearings will be rescheduled pending a separate message with additional details.

At a Sunday briefing, Green was joined by Adjutant General Stephen Logan, Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen and National Weather Service warning coordination meteorologist John Bravender. The governor repeated the central safety message in the release: “The safety of our residents and visitors is our top priority. Please take this time to secure your home, check on loved ones and heed guidance from emergency officials.” His longer statement warned that the storm “could bring conditions that make travel unsafe and threaten property” and added, “Hawaiʻi is strongest when we look out for one another - and that starts with being prepared.”

Public school officials emphasized the practical limits of instruction during the closure. DOE Communications Director Nanea Ching said, “Schools will not transition to online learning either.” DOE Superintendent Keith Hayashi acknowledged the tradeoffs, saying, “We understand the importance of every instructional day, and decisions like these are not made lightly.”

Utilities and local services were already feeling the effects. Hawaiian Electric Co. and the Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative had taken preemptive steps to clear debris from lines, but by late Sunday Hawaiian Electric estimated about 12,700 customers statewide were without power, mostly from trees and debris contacting lines. Crews had restored roughly 45,000 customers in the previous 24 hours. Outages were concentrated on Oʻahu in neighborhoods including Nānākuli, Makakilo, ʻAiea, Kalihi, Honolulu and Mānoa; about 160 customers were reported out on Hawaiʻi island and 350 in Maui County. Green recounted observed damage, saying, “We had one of our staff see … a tree fall right on a power line right in front of her this morning,” and added, “So mostly we’re taking precautions.”

Local institutions adjusted operations: all YMCA of Honolulu branches and programs closed Monday, with the Central YMCA short-term accommodations remaining open; Camp Erdman renters in Yurt, Hale and Makai cabins were moved to Mauka Cabins. Public libraries were also closed, and the governor urged private schools to follow suit, with many doing so.

Emergency officials highlighted the unequal impacts of outages and flooding risk. Power interruptions and hazardous travel disproportionately threaten people who rely on electricity for medical devices, low-income households in flood-prone neighborhoods and frontline workers who must report for duty. Residents were urged to sign up for county alerts through the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, have an emergency plan and avoid unnecessary travel while officials monitor the storm and provide updates through HI-EMA and the National Weather Service.