NWS Honolulu Warns of Minor Coastal Flooding on Kaua‘i During Peak Tides

The National Weather Service (NWS) Honolulu forecast office issued a Coastal Flood Statement on March 3, 2026 affecting the Hawaiian Islands, including Kaua‘i, saying "Peak monthly high tides combined with water levels that were running higher than predicted led the NWS to warn of expected minor coastal flooding." The product text provided to this report names the agency and the islands but does not list specific beaches, harbors, or towns on Kaua‘i or provide tide heights.

The NWS Coastal Flooding Hazards table places that language in its Low risk category and clarifies the expected impacts: "Minor coastal flooding is expected. Minimal property damage is expected, but there is possibly some public threat or inconvenience." That Low-category wording aligns with the Honolulu office's use of "minor coastal flooding" and suggests limited structural damage but potential inundation of low-lying areas during peak high tides.

The Honolulu statement supplied for this story did not include a timestamp, product identifier, lat/lon coordinates, or the specific peak tide times and heights referenced in the text. Those items are commonly included in full NWS products but were absent from the snippet provided here; the missing details mean exact timing for possible road inundation or shoreline closures on Kaua‘i could not be confirmed from the material on hand.

For context on how full NWS products look when timestamped and coded, the material also included a separate NWS San Juan, PR Flood Advisory. That product begins with the header "746 WGCA82 TJSJ 262042 FLSSJU" and carries the local issuance line "442 PM AST Thu Feb 26 2026 ...FLOOD ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 645 PM AST THIS EVENING..." The San Juan advisory lists observed rainfall - "Between 1 and 2 inches of rain have fallen" - and expected additional amounts "up to 1.5 inches," details impacts as "Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas. Water over roadways," and closes with the precautionary line "Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles." That advisory ends with the product close "$$ CVB."

Local officials on Kaua‘i and the NWS Honolulu forecast office are the proper points for any specific follow-up about tide times, observed sea-level readings, or reports of roadway inundation tied to the March 3 statement. The NWS website also carried broader notices such as "Starting April 16th, 2026: Marine Zones Expand from 20 NM to 60 NM!!!" and a headline "Snowfall Totals January 31 - February 1, 2026," indicating other active updates on agency pages alongside coastal flood messaging.