Hawaii
Watch: Drone highlights Maui flooding after powerful storm rakes Hawaiian islands
Drone video from the county of Maui shows extensive flooding in the aftermath of a powerful storm that struck the island chain on Thursday.
MAUI, Hawaii — A powerful storm in Hawaii this week that left flights grounded, trees felled and vacation beach plans ruined also left a trail of flooding in its wake.
Drone video from the county of Maui released Friday shows some of the flooding aftermath on the south part of the island after as much as 6-10 inches of rain fell Thursday.
HAWAII SLAMMED BY TRIPLE THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS, BLISTERING WIND AND BLIZZARD-LIKE SNOW
“South Kīhei Road’s history as a natural wetland once allowed it to receive rainwater and manage seasonal runoff from Haleakalā,” the county of Maui said. “Urban development, however, encroached into these wetlands, reducing the land’s natural flood control and making flooding experienced by development more common. Despite these changes, the area retains its natural flood-prone state during heavy rains.”
The island reported multiple water main breaks, affecting drinking supply in some neighborhoods. All Maui County pools, sports playing fields, tennis and basketball courts and stadiums, including the Waiehu Golf Course, remain closed due to storm-related impacts, according to the Department of Parks and Recreation.
Aside from the heavy rains, powerful winds gusting over 60 mph in the lowlands left over 50,000 people without power and multiple trees down.
That included this unlucky driver in Honolulu who came to find a large tree had smashed into his rear windshield.
Powerful winds knocked a tree over onto the back of an unlucky car in Honolulu during a blistering wind and rain storm Thursday.
At least one rock slide was also reported on Maui, with a giant boulder blocking a travel lane of the Kahekili Highway.
Strong winds were seen partially blowing the shingles off a roof in Kaneohe, along the windward coast of Oahu.
Footage from Graham Bell shows the storm
Hawaii issued a ground stop for all interisland flights on Thursday for a few hours as the storms raged, with four flights being diverted to Lihue, according to the Hawaii Department of Transportation.
Boaters fared no better as the National Weather Service in Honolulu issued multiple marine warnings throughout the storm advising of strong winds, lightning and even potential waterspouts.
But even boats docked on shore were not immune from the storm impacts. The U.S. Coast Guard reports a 65-foot commercial catamaran broke free of its mooring on the north side of Honolua Bay in Maui early Friday morning and smashed into rocks, running around.
Maui firefighters were able to help safely get four crewmembers on board to shore. Another 38-foot boat ran aground onto a sand bottom near Maui’s Kihei.
The winds were even higher – reaching well beyond hurricane force – along the mountain peaks. A communications tower atop the summit of Maui’s Haleakala around 10,000 feet recorded a gust of 120 mph.
Hawaii
Historic Hawaiian Kukui Tree Cut Down After Nearly 30 Years at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort – WDWNT
A notable piece of living history has been removed from Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort after reportedly dying from recent cold weather.
Walt Disney World’s One-of-a-Kind Hawaiian Tree
The Polynesian Resort’s one-of-a-kind kukui nut tree was cut down in late June after Disney horticulturalists determined the tree could no longer survive in the wake of a uniquely difficult Florida winter.
The large tropical tree was located to the rear of the Great Ceremonial House, just off a guest footpath. According to a 2020 Forestry Journal feature, it was believed to be the only tree of its kind in mainland North America.
The tree, Aleurites moluccana, was donated to Disney by the people of Hawaiʻi and planted at the resort on April 5, 1997, the 25th anniversary of the opening of Magic Kingdom.
The kukui tree carried particular significance as the state tree of Hawaiʻi from 1959 forward, and it is still regarded as an important cultural symbol of the state. The tree at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort had been transplanted directly from Hawaiʻi, with a time capsule reportedly placed in the soil around its roots and base when it was planted.
In accordance with a traditional Hawaiian custom, according to the Forestry Journal piece, the kukui tree was planted behind the Great Ceremonial House rather than at the front, and it was deliberately planted by one lucky hotel guest, rather than a Cast Member. The article explained that this reflected a Hawaiian belief that kukui trees should be planted toward the rear, or “hale,” of a home and by a stranger to bring good luck.
In our photos, crews are seen working in the landscaped area near the resort’s longhouses and the Lava Pool. Orange cones and barricades block off portions of the walkway, with a utility vehicle and equipment nearby. The tree had been cut down, with a tall remaining trunk section visible where the kukui tree once stood.
At Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, the tree helped support the resort’s South Pacific placemaking. The tree’s distinct light green, silvery leaves, striking trunk, and small green fruits stood out against native Florida trees and even other tropical trees planted at the resort.
For much of the kikui’s tree life, a Moreton Bay fig tree grew nearby on the opposite side of an adjacent footpath, another transplant tree which itself was removed some time around 2022.
The Facebook group Tikiman’s Unofficial Polynesian Resort Pages made a post regarding the tree’s removal, detailing that the recent unusual cold weather at the resort was too much to bear.
The tree had, however, a history of surviving violent Florida weather. A Disney Resort Team member told Forestry Journal that the kukui tree had been struck by lightning twice, survived hurricanes, nearly been uprooted, and endured prior cold snaps before this latest reported decline.
It is not currently known whether Disney plans to replace the kukui tree, or whether the reported time capsule at its base was removed, returned to the ground, or preserved elsewhere. We will keep you updated
Do you have any memories or photos of the kukui tree during its time at the Polynesian? Please share your memories with us on social media.
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Whether four-star 2028 prospect King Pitts has an offer from the Washington Huskies as an offensive lineman or an athlete, he’s firmly on Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies coaching staff’s radar.
The 6-foot-5, 255-pound two-way lineman is back in his native Hawaii and set to play his junior season at Kapa’a High School after playing at Cardinal Newman in California, after establishing himself as a national recruit during his sophomore year as an offensive tackle and versatile defensive lineman.
The No. 241 overall recruit—according to the 247Sports Composite—Pitts holds 43 total scholarship offers with two years still left of high school football.
As a defensive lineman, Pitts can play either defensive tackle or defensive end with his ability to be a disruptive force against the run and pass. Whichever position the Islands product ends up playing at the next level, there isn’t a question of if, but how well he’ll hold up against Big Ten and SEC-caliber talent.
UW hasn’t ventured heavily into recruiting Hawaii as much recently as the football program has in previous decades. Aside from signing tight end Kekua Aumua in the 2026 class, who began and finished his prep career at Kahuku after transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, for his junior season, Fisch has only signed one other prospect from Hawaii, Mililani quarterback Treston Kini McMillan in 2025.
Over the years, the Huskies have featured several notable recruits from the Islands, including defensive tackle Faatui Tuitele in 2019 and a pair of edge rushers, Zion Tupuola-Fetui in 2018 and Hau’oli Kikaha in 2010.
If Fisch and Co. can get the coveted two-way lineman on campus for at least one, if not multiple, unofficial visits over the course of the next 12 months, UW should be a major factor in Pitts’ recruitment long-term.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A drive-by shooting road rage incident in Kailua has prompted an attempted murder police investigation.
According to the Honolulu Police Department, at around noon Sunday, an unknown man driving a white Ford van was involved in an alleged road rage incident with a 25-year-old man and his 24-year-old female passenger while they were inside their vehicle.
Police said the suspect allegedly displayed his handgun and then fired, hitting the vehicle.
No one was hurt.
Police said the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to call 911 or CrimeStoppers at (808) 955-8300.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
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