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Hurricane Nolo brings heavy rain and a hurricane watch to Hawaii's Big Island
September 26, 2026
Hurricane Nolo, a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph, sends outer rainbands onto Hawaii's Big Island under a hurricane watch.
Nolo is the third hurricane to pass Hawaii in an active Pacific hurricane season, following Hurricanes Lala and Lowell.
Hurricane Nolo reached Category 5 strength early Saturday, its top winds holding at 160 mph while its outer rainbands struck the Big Island, NBC News reports, citing the National Hurricane Center. A hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning cover Hawaii County, Maui County is under a tropical storm watch, and a wind advisory applies to the rest of the state. NBC News puts rain on western portions of the Big Island at 1 to 3 inches, with maximum amounts of 6 inches, and the National Hurricane Center expects 4 to 6 inches on Maui, with maximum amounts of 8 inches. On Friday, Gov. Josh Green said President Donald Trump had approved Hawaii's request for an emergency declaration, which brings federal assistance for protective measures.
NBC News also reports from Naalehu, on the southern tip of the Big Island, where residents are still recovering from Hurricane Lala. Mark Peters, a Naalehu resident, describes cars and houses moved and buildings left in the baseball field at Waiohinu Park. “We’re just getting started with our recovery. But to have yet another big storm hit us, and potentially even bigger than the last one, it’s difficult,” said Peters. At South Point, Tess Kala is tying things down and moving belongings away from the houses.
NBC News counts Nolo as the third hurricane to pass Hawaii after Lala and Lowell in an active Pacific season, which it links to a record-setting El Niño. NBC News reports the watches, warnings and the storm's 160 mph winds as current conditions. The rain totals, the reach of hurricane conditions on steep terrain, and the forecast turn northeast toward Baja California Sur on Monday are forecasts, and sourcing was thin at the time of this draft.
Still developing
The storm's expected turn northeast toward Baja California Sur on Monday was still forming as of the time of this draft.
How settled the reporting is
Sources
- NBC News — Hurricane Nolo expected to bring heavy rain as it skirts Hawaii’s Big Island
Toggle read the full reports of all 5 outlets counted on this event.