Update from Hawaiʻi Island
Aloha. We are closely monitoring Tropical Storm Nolo and preparing across Hawaiʻi Island.
Our teams are on the ground, preparing our homes and staying in close communication with local and government agencies as conditions develop. This page is for our guests and property owners, with current information, guidance, and what the storm may mean for your stay or property.
We will update this page as conditions change. Please check back here for the latest information from our team.
UPDATED • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 • 11:30 AM HST
Where things stand
A Hurricane Watch is now in effect for Hawai’i County. The Central Pacific Hurricane Center issued it at 11:00 AM Wednesday and named the system Tropical Storm Nolo. A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible, usually within about 48 hours.
Nolo is about 310 miles south of South Point with winds near 40 mph, moving west northwest. Forecasters expect it to strengthen into a hurricane Thursday and possibly a major hurricane by the weekend, approaching Hawai’i Island Friday and Saturday. Hurricane conditions could begin there as early as late Friday.
A Flood Watch is in effect for Hawai’i Island and Maui County from noon Wednesday through 6 p.m. Saturday. No watch has been issued for O’ahu or Kaua’i.
Island | What is in effect | What it means for your stay |
|---|---|---|
Hawai’i Island | Hurricane Watch and Flood Watch | Hurricane conditions are possible Friday into Saturday. Please read the guest sections below. |
Maui, Moloka’i, Lāna’i | Flood Watch | Nothing changes today. Heavy rain is possible. |
O’ahu | Nothing in effect | Nothing changes today. |
Kaua’i | Nothing in effect | Nothing changes today. |
Follow the official forecast at the Central Pacific Hurricane Center: www.nhc.noaa.gov/?cpac
If you are staying with us right now
If you are staying on Hawai’i Island and you are scheduled to depart Friday or Saturday, please consider leaving earlier. Flights fill and then stop before a storm arrives, and those two days are the most likely to be cancelled. Email our office vacations@hawaiilife.com and we will help you move your departure. If you are on Maui, O’ahu or Kaua’i, your stay continues as planned and there is nothing you need to do today.
If you are arriving soon
If you are arriving on Hawai’i Island Friday or Saturday, please consider postponing your trip by a few days. Hurricane conditions could begin as early as late Friday, and flights into Kona and Hilo those days are the most likely to be cancelled. Email our office or complete this form we will move your dates. If you are arriving on Maui, O’ahu or Kaua’i, your reservation stands and there is nothing you need to do today.
Forecast tracks change constantly at this distance. We do not want you making travel decisions on a forecast that may look completely different in two days, and we would rather you hear from us than from a weather app.
If the storm looks like it will affect your arrival, meaning grounded flights, a closed airport, or conditions that make getting to the house unsafe, we will contact you directly and work with you to move your dates. We will not leave you to figure it out at the airport. Rain by itself is not a reason to move a trip. We host guests through heavy rain here all the time, and a wet day or two does not keep you out of the home.
If you need to change your dates
Severe Weather & Rescheduling: If a severe storm or hurricane threatens our area around your arrival date, we want to make sure you stay safe! While we do not issue refunds for weather-related disruptions, we are happy to let you move your stay to any available dates within the next 6 months. Please note that new dates are subject to seasonal rates, so if the new dates are higher in price, you’ll just pay the difference. If the new dates happen to have a lower rate, no partial credits or refunds will be issued.
In plain terms:
Any available dates within the next six months
New dates are priced at the seasonal rate for those dates
Higher rate, you pay the difference. Lower rate, no credit and no refund
There is no refund for a weather disruption, and there is no deadline to decide
Preparing your home
A hurricane watch is in effect for Hawai’i County. If you are staying on Hawai’i Island, get the home ready today while stores are still open.
Water: one gallon per person per day, three days
Food that does not need cooking, three days
Charge your phone and any devices, and keep a flashlight within reach. Please do not use candles
Fill your rental car with gas. Stations cannot pump without power
Keep some cash on hand. ATMs and card readers go down with the power
Bring in outdoor furniture, umbrellas and anything loose that could blow into the house
Expect power outages, road closures and closed stores for a day or more after a storm passes. Outages can last longer than you would expect.
When a warning is issued, this section is replaced with shelter in place instructions. At that point we stop advising anyone to go out, and guests use what they have in the home and follow county advisories.
How to reach us
Reservations: (855) 447-3685. Answered off island, so it still works when an island loses power and internet. Use it for anything urgent at the house during a storm. To change your dates, please email us instead.
Email: vacations@hawaiilife.com. To change or postpone your dates, please email us rather than call. Email gives us your request in writing and lets us work through them in the order they arrive.
Your property manager is your first call for anything at the house itself. Their number is in your arrival information and your booking confirmation.
If you have an emergency, call 911 first and tell us afterward.
During the worst of a storm nobody can come to the property. That is a safety rule for our team as much as for you. As soon as conditions allow, we check on you and on the home.
Where to follow the storm
We update this page off these sources. If you want to watch it yourself, watch these rather than a national broadcast, which tends to run ahead of the forecast.
Source | What it is for |
|---|---|
Central Pacific Hurricane Center (www.nhc.noaa.gov/?cpac) | The official forecast track, watches and warnings |
National Weather Service Honolulu (www.weather.gov/hfo) | Island by island forecasts, flood watches, local statements |
Hawai’i Emergency Management Agency (dod.hawaii.gov/hiema) | Statewide emergency information and shelter openings |
Your county emergency management agency | Evacuation orders and shelters where you are staying |
Your airline | Flight changes and weather waivers |
An evacuation order from your county always overrides anything on this page. If the county tells you to go, go, and call us afterward.
We are here for you
Please email us at vacations@hawaiilife.com
Mahalo,
Hawai‘i Life
Conditions on this page reflect official county, state, utility, and emergency management reports available as of the date and time noted above. Conditions can change quickly, and forecasts, impacts, and timelines are estimates rather than commitments. If an official emergency notice conflicts with anything on this page, please follow the official notice.