Warning over catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding in Hawaii

A resident carries supplies during Hurricane Lala in Hawaiian Ocean View, Hawaii, Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

A warning has been issued on Big Island in Hawaii over concerns about Hurricane Nolo gaining strength.

US NOAA has sent an alert for possible catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding this weekend.

The National Hurricane Center has said that three feet of rain could be dumped on Hawaii, with Nolo having maximum sustained winds of up to 80mph.

Hurricane Nolo is a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale and is currently 240 miles south of South Point.

It’s expected to pass very close to the Big Island, home to 210,000, on Saturday, but the damage could be greater if it takes a more northerly track.

Mudslides also present a threat due to the island’s steep terrain, which could also mean catastrophic flash flooding.

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People walk through a field of debris in Naalehu, Hawaii, Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, after a severe weather system went through the area. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Hawaii has faced four tropical threats this season, despite not usually seeing much activity.

Lala brought with it winds of up to 91mph, dumped 25 inches of rain on the island, and whipped up a 3ft storm surge, a change in sea level.

More than 60,000 were left without power and two homes in Naalehu have been swept away by ‘life-threatening’ floods, Honolulu-Star Advertiser reported at the time.

Only 19 hurricanes have passed within 100 miles of Hawaii, most during periods of El Niño, a weather system that blows warm ocean water west.

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Original source Warning over catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding in Hawaii

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