Severe Flooding Strikes Honolulu: Residents Struggle After Sudden Downpour

Wed Mar 25 2026 12:41:26 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A heavy downpour transformed Honolulu's streets into rivers, causing significant damage and prompting emergency response efforts. Residents are left to cope with the aftermath of extensive flooding.

On Tuesday, crews began assessing the destruction from a sudden flash flood in Honolulu caused by intense rain from a weather anomaly known as a 'Kona low'. The flooding, described as the worst in two decades, has left hundreds of homes damaged and numerous vehicles submerged. Local officials called for disaster assistance as the community rallies for recovery amidst ongoing unpredictable weather patterns attributed to climate change.

HONOLULU (RTW News) — Crews on Tuesday began evaluating damage from a surprise downpour that sent floodwaters raging through a neighborhood near downtown Honolulu — the latest bout in a series of storms and flooding that have pummeled the state over the past two weeks.

Residents along Oahu’s North Shore, famous for its big waves, were cleaning up from the worst flooding to hit Hawaii in two decades when a storm on Monday unleashed several inches of rain on the southern part of the island. Reddish-brown torrents gushed along roads in the Manoa Valley, a few miles east of downtown Honolulu, sweeping away parked cars and swamping much of the neighborhood.

“I was shocked to see how much flash flooding there was in my area,” said resident Andrew Phomsouvanh, who recorded video of streets transformed into a confluence of rapids. “The water just keeps coming.”

Maile Mills knew there was nothing she could do to save her Honda Civic, which she had parked on the street in front of her Manoa office building, when she saw the water reach the car’s door handles. The flood pushed the vehicle onto the curb, totaling her car. “It looked like rubber ducks in a pond,” Mills said. “All the cars started to float.”

The ferocity of Monday’s downpour surprised even National Weather Service meteorologists. They anticipated rain from a powerful winter storm system called a “Kona low” but were caught off guard by the amount. “When you think it’s over, it’s not quite over,” said forecaster Cole Evans.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi termed it a “classic rain bomb,” as the skies shifted from sunny to stormy unexpectedly. Despite the turmoil, there were no immediate reports of deaths or serious injuries. However, countless homes suffered damage due to last week’s flooding, which followed heavy rains from another storm.

Evacuation orders covered 5,500 people north of Honolulu, where some residents fled on surfboards as the water reached waist or chest-deep. Hundreds of houses on Oahu’s North Shore have reported damage, with farms around the state incurring more than $17 million in losses. Local officials describe the ongoing situation as the state’s most serious flooding event since 2004.

Crews have started cleanup operations, and the government is investigating federal disaster assistance as recovery efforts ramp up.

As the Kona low continues to move east, residents hope that the rains will finally cease. But experts remind that the intensity and frequency of heavy rains in Hawaii have increased amid human-caused climate change.