Hurricane Nolo to bring up to 16 inches of rain to Hawaii through Sunday

October 2, 2026 at 04:43 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Hurricane Nolo is forecast to bring 8-12 inches of rain to Hawaii's Big Island, with up to 16 inches in mountainous areas, through Sunday. Governor Josh Green declared a state of emergency and President Donald Trump approved a pre-landfall emergency declaration. The storm is the third close hurricane encounter for Hawaii in six weeks.

Key Facts

Rainfall totals on Hawaii's Big Island could reach 8-12 inches in eastern and southern areas and up to 16 inches in mountainous regions through Sunday.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green declared a state of emergency, and President Donald Trump approved a pre-landfall presidential emergency declaration.
121 National Guard members have been deployed on the island of Hawaii, with about 400 readied across the state.
Government offices and schools on the island of Hawaii are closed Thursday and Friday, while those on Maui are closed Friday.
This season, 19 named storms have formed in the central and eastern Pacific, including three Category 5 hurricanes.

Storm Track and Intensity

Hurricane Nolo rapidly strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane on Friday and maintained that strength on Saturday morning. As it passes the island, the storm could reach the upper end of Category 2 or Category 3. Heavy rainfall poses the greatest danger, but gusty winds and dangerous ocean swells are also forecast. Nolo, Odalis, and Polo are all in the Pacific at the same time.

Emergency Response and Closures

Hawaii Governor Josh Green declared a state of emergency, and U.S. President Donald Trump approved the state's request for a pre-landfall presidential emergency declaration. On the island of Hawaii, 121 National Guard members have been deployed, and about 400 members have been readied across the state. Authorities have opened shelters, and government offices and schools on the island of Hawaii are closed on Thursday and Friday. Schools on Maui are closed on Friday.

Recent Hurricane History

In August, Hurricane Lala caused catastrophic flooding on the island of Hawaii. In early September, Hurricane Lowell affected the islands of Kauai and Niihau. This season, 19 named storms have formed in the central and eastern Pacific, including three Category 5 hurricanes. Dangerous ocean swells could continue into next week, even after Nolo begins moving away from Hawaii.