Hurricane Nolo Threatens Hawaii With 2-4 Inches of Rain as Niihau Damage From Lowell Stays Unclear
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 26
Hurricane Nolo Threatens Hawaii With 2-4 Inches of Rain as Niihau Damage From Lowell Stays Unclear
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 26
Summary
Nolo was forecast Thursday to bring the biggest rainfall threat to Maui and the Big Island, while Niihau faced 2 to 4 inches of rain and large waves through Sunday.
Officials were still trying to assess Niihau after Hurricane Lowell because access requires the Robinson family's permission, leaving little public detail on damage two weeks after the storm.
About 30 people were on Niihau during Lowell, and county officials said everyone was accounted for with no injuries, despite hurricane-force winds and the island's closer position to the storm's eye.
Kauai, by contrast, suffered two deaths, 18 homes destroyed and 67 with major damage, even as power had been restored to 98% of affected customers this week.
Niihau's isolation, subsistence lifestyle and close coordination with county emergency officials have made the privately owned island a focus as Hawaii endures another storm in an active season that runs through Nov. 30.
With soils already saturated from previous storms, can Hawaii's strained infrastructure withstand Hurricane Nolo's catastrophic 35-inch rainfall?
Why are stalling hurricanes like Nolo becoming a recurring, devastating nightmare for the Hawaiian Islands this season?
Hurricane Nolo and the Relentless 2026 Pacific Season: Hawaii’s Triple Threat, Disaster Fatigue, and the Role of Super El Niño
Overview
In 2026, a record-breaking Super El Niño fueled ocean temperatures in the Pacific to 5°C above normal, supercharging hurricane activity while suppressing storms in the Atlantic. This led to a relentless series of powerful hurricanes—Lala, Lowell, and now Nolo—striking Hawaii in quick succession. The Big Island and Maui faced catastrophic flooding and mudslides, while repeated disasters strained local government resources and battered the tourism economy. As residents endured deep disaster fatigue and trauma, officials scrambled to secure federal aid and manage ongoing emergencies, highlighting how climate change and extreme weather are pushing Hawaii’s resilience to its limits.