Hawaii News

Heavy rain and flooding remain the most immediate public-safety issue across the islands in the supplied coverage. On Maui, Maui Now’s flood updates say the Flash Flood Warning for East Maui and a Flood Watch for Maui County expired Thursday evening after periods of heavy rainfall, rockfalls and road closures; separate Maui Now reports also note road closures tied to flooding and a partial closure on Maui Veterans Highway, weather permitting. A related Maui report says MEMA issued an evacuation warning for the Kīpahulu District of Haleakalā National Park. On the Big Island, Big Island Now reported flood advisories and a flash flood warning for windward and East Hawaiʻi, along with a strong thunderstorm moving over portions of Kaʻū and Puna; later coverage says the flash flood warning was canceled for parts of windward Hawaiʻi Island. Kauaʻi’s forecast also points to unsettled weather, with scattered showers in the evening and isolated showers after midnight in the Kauaʻi Now weather forecast.

Beyond the weather, the death of former University of Hawaiʻi head football coach June Jones is drawing statewide attention. Maui Now, Big Island Now and Kauaʻi Now each reported his death, and the Maui and Big Island stories note he was 73. The coverage frames him as a major figure in UH football history, with Big Island Now describing him as the winningest head coach in university history.

Kauaʻi also has several notable local developments. Kauaʻi Now reported H5N1 avian flu detected in a wastewater sample in Kauaʻi County, calling it the first detection tied to this year’s seasonal bird migration and the first detection of the D1.1 genotype in Hawaiʻi. Separate Kauaʻi coverage says cleanup and recovery continue nearly two months after Hurricane Lowell, and the County Council approved seeking up to $25 million in insurance coverage related to the Kāpule Building fire in Līhuʻe.

On the Big Island, Big Island Now also reported the Judiciary’s online systems were restored after a temporary interruption, while county and community notices include a missing endangered woman case and a Queen’s North Hawaiʻi Community Hospital bootcamp for expectant parents. Maui’s non-weather coverage is lighter, centered on community events such as a Blind Boys of Alabama concert at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center and artist registration for Maui Open Studios.