Should You Cancel Your Trip to Hawaii? Hawaii Storm Update
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Information as of Saturday, April 26th, 2026
TL;DR: Absolutely don’t cancel your trip to Hawaii. All the Hawaiian Islands recovered within a few days from each storm, in regard to the visitor experience. Local businesses and tours welcome visitors, and all roads are open. You will be able to swim and enjoy Hawaii!
Headlines abound about how Hawaii was pummeled by two Kona Low storms in mid-March and another record rain in early April. The islands have recovered from the rains for visitors to return. Readers of this website report having a great beach vacation in late March/early April.
Details below to help you understand the state of Hawaii for your vacation to answer “Should you cancel your trip to Hawaii?”
Many parts of the islands received record daily rainfall in March. The storm in April dumped 15″ on Kauai, 8″ on Oahu, and 4″ on Maui and Hawaii.
As of today, here is the status of popular visitor destinations:
- Maui’s Road to Hana opened on March 25th to non-Hana residents (aka, tours have started again)
- Maui’s Haleakala National Park summit district opened on March 28th, and the park is now fully open.
- Maui’s beaches are open and clean, with West and South Maui beaches good for snorkeling (details are below).
- Kauai was mostly spared from the storms, and everything is open for visitors
- Oahu’s Waikiki, Honolulu, Ko Olina, and other popular visitor destinations were not damaged, and everything is open
- Oahu’s North Shore, specifically neighborhoods in Waialua, are closed due to flood clean-up (map below)
- Big Island’s Kona and Kohala districts in West Hawaii received damage, but farms, tours, and businesses are open.
- Downtown Kailua-Kona was damaged but has been repaired. Most of the rain was in Puna and Ku’a in the south.
- Big Island’s Māmalahoa Highway in Kona’s coffee belt will reopen after resurfacing on March 29th, 2026
- Big Island’s Volcano National Park is open
Would I board a flight to visit Hawaii in April? Yes, I’d continue my trip after the storms, as the islands recovered quickly for visitors, and the weather in April looks normal with the trade winds.
When I have doubts about that decision, I check Live Maui Webcams.
I would not modify my itinerary if I were visiting Hawaii next week.
We always confirm ocean conditions before we go swimming, so that doesn’t change. Ocean visibility and cleanliness are clearing up quickly, and the forecast for rain is back to normal with the trade winds.
I would sleep easy if my trip were booked for April, May, or June. There is a low probability that storm damage will impact your visit.
Brown Water Warnings After Rains: Rains flush mud, dirt, and sometimes waste into the ocean. Brown Water Warnings will be issued after the rains. You can check the ocean brown water status here.
With two tides a day and currents, the water usually clears up in about three days.
Support Local Businesses by Not Canceling Your Trip
Maui and Oahu locals will be repairing damages for weeks to come.
My fear in writing this is that I’m coming off as insensitive to those whose homes were damaged by the storms. That is not my intent. There is nothing worse than losing your home, like those folks in Waialua on Oahu or the retired couple’s home in ‘Iao Valley on Maui in March. The damages they’ve sustained have been devastating.
My goal is to provide visitors with the status of Hawaii, as it relates to a vacation in Hawaii. Tour operators and luau entertainers had about 20 days of business canceled due to these storms.
The news makes Hawaii look worse than it is. Here is what you can expect if you’re heading to Hawaii.
So, you’re not fooled by such articles as the one pictured below. Notice the caption?
Where to Find Information on What is Open in Hawaii
“Should you cancel your trip to Hawaii?” may not be answered with this article. Here are the local news sources that we trust.
Erica and I have an unhealthy relationship with Hawaii. We are deep into government websites, local news, books, and local residents’ YouTube videos as we try to stay current on what it’s like to visit Hawaii.
These are the sources I refer to when checking my Hawaii itinerary or when a natural emergency occurs. We also have friends and tour operators on the islands who share their experience, as we no longer live on Maui.
TL;DR: The information on the websites below indicates that Hawaii is open to visitors. The storm and damage are no longer the focus of their news cycle.
Here are some of our trusted news sources for weather and local conditions.
- Hawaii News Now has the largest meteorological team, so I trust their forecasts for Oahu and the neighbor islands
- The Snorkel Store’s Snorkel Report is the best ocean condition report for Maui. Their report from soon after the March storms is below.
- The status of lifeguard beaches across Hawaii is found here: Hawaii Beach Safety
- Brown water advisories issued on each island
- Hawaii State Parks provide closure information in red at the top of their website. A great check to see if a park is closed, camping is closed, or if ‘Akaka Falls toilets are broken (yes, they are, but they have portable toilets)
- Haleakala and Volcanoes National Park also have closure information at the top of their websites
- Maui News Now for local news
- Big Island Now for local news
Visiting Oahu After the Kona Lows
Oahu is a tale of two cities. Most visitors to Oahu stay in Waikiki or Ko Olina Resorts; those areas were not flooded. Ocean conditions are improving quickly, and I’m sure they will be good for swimming by now.
The major damage on Oahu was caused by the unexpected severity of the second Kona Low, which flooded the Waialua neighborhood on March 21st. This is a residential neighborhood, so visitors wouldn’t come here anyway. This neighborhood is next to the charming, popular tourist town of Hale’iwa.
Hale’iwa’s downtown was not damaged, and local businesses would like visitors to return.
“Hawaii is open for business. We are welcoming our visitors here,” said Hawaii Tourism Authority chief administrative officer David Uchiyama. However, the HTA also says tourists should steer clear of the hardest-hit areas. “We’re asking for the respect of our visitors to stay out of those areas in respect for residents — Waialua, Mokuleia, parts of Haleiwa,” said Uchiyama.
All other parts of Oahu are open and accessible. That means Turtle Bay Resort and the Polynesian Cultural Center, both North Shore destinations, are open.
Visiting Maui After the Storms
Maui received record rain and high winds with the first Kona Low storm in March. They were expecting more damage with the second storm, but Maui fared well.
Maui is all about scenic drives, like the Road to Hana and Haleakala. For first-time visitors, these are can’t-miss experiences. So, I understand when folks are nervous about their vacations.
The island is recovering well from the storm. The Road to Hana opened to tours and visitors on Wednesday, March 25th. Haleakala National Park summit district opened on March 28th.
Newsletter reader Julie visited right after the second Kona low storm, and she reported back the following after her trip.
We went to Maui March 28th – April 4th. We had a great time. My husband & I went with our son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter (10 years old). We stayed in Kihei. The weather was great, the water was clear, and we were able to take a hike at Haleakala. The road to Hana also went very well.
Mahalo, Julie N.
Our friend Tyler at TravelShack reported that the Sheraton Maui Luau held two luaus the week of March 16th. It was a nail-biter with rain showers, but the shows were a success.
I have not seen issues or damage reported in the popular resort areas of Ka’anapali, Kapalua, Napili Bay, or Wailea. Brown water advisories were in effect on Ka’anapali Beach around March 26th.
Ocean conditions for snorkeling are back in the green for Ka’anapali Beach, Airport Beach, and South Maui Beaches. Northwest beaches, such as Napali Bay and Kapalua, are experiencing high winds and strong currents.
As I was curious about what Maui looks like now, I made a collection of webcams for Maui. See our 15 Best Maui Webcams for a live scene of Maui beaches and Upcountry.
Let’s talk sinkholes. I refer to the County of Maui’s Road Closure Notifications to understand driving on Maui. Sinkholes are listed, but when you input their locations in Google Maps, you will find they are in residential neighborhoods, with one on the island of Moloka’i. South Kihei Road is not listed as being closed, even with their sinkhole at Kam II.
Kauai and the Big Island are Close to Normal
Kauai is on a winning streak in its tourism industry. They were the only island with an increase in domestic visitors in 2025. When they usually are the first to get the worst of a major storm or hurricane, they were mostly spared from these Kona Lows in March.
They did get a record amount of rain in April, causing roads to close and power lines to go down. We haven’t seen reports of damage on the island.
I just published our How to Visit the Na Pali Coast for those planning a trip to Kauai!
The Big Island received most of the heavy rain from South Point to Hilo, the southeast side of the island. While the rains were heavy and schools were damaged, I have not heard of any issues affecting visits to these areas.
Volcanoes National Park is cleaning up roads and trails from mud and debris this week at some park destinations. Popular sights in the park have been opened.
The popular resort areas of Kona and the Kohala Coast were not damaged. Ocean conditions are clearing up as the rains have subsided.
Final Thoughts
Bad weather, folks in distress, and property damaged don’t feel good when you have your dream vacation planned.
My goal with this article was to provide informational sources to help you make the best decision for your trip.
Late March has been a tad frustrating for me, as I see how mainland news sources presented the information, while footage and news from the islands told a different story. We experienced this with COVID and the Lahaina fires.
Local businesses and workers are happy to have visitors come to Hawaii. We hope you have an amazing spring and summer trip to the islands.
Feel free to email us with any specific questions you may have about your trip. Erica and I are at aloha@thehawaiivacationguide.com.
