Updated Monday, April 13 (evening): The statewide Flash Flood Watch expired at 6 p.m. Monday, April 13 and was not extended. The National Weather Service let the watch lapse as the kona system pulled away to the east and the threat of widespread flash flooding eased across all four main islands. The HVCB expects drier trade winds to return by mid-week.

The watch is down, but the ground is not. Soils are still saturated from a week of rain, streams are running high, and a handful of trails and back roads will need a few days to drain before they’re worth your time. If you’re in Hawaiʻi right now or arriving over the next 48 hours, your trip is fine — just be smart about which activities you queue up first.

A kona low — a slow-moving low-pressure system that develops west or southwest of the islands — pulled tropical moisture across the entire state for most of the week. Unlike trade-wind showers that hit windward coasts and pass quickly, kona systems produce widespread, prolonged rainfall that can affect every side of every island. This one stuck around longer than initially forecast.

The first round of heavy rain hit midweek, showers eased briefly Friday into early Saturday, and then the system ramped back up Saturday evening with the heaviest rainfall falling Sunday into early Monday. The NWS held the statewide watch through 6 p.m. Monday because saturated soils and elevated streams meant even moderate rain could have triggered flash flooding. By Monday evening the heaviest cells had moved off, the threat eased, and the flood watch was allowed to expire rather than extended.

Stream levels are still elevated and soils are still soaked, so localized urban flooding and runoff in steep terrain remain possible for a day or two even without a formal watch in effect. Use common sense around stream crossings and waterfalls until the islands have a couple of dry days under their belt.

Kauaʻi: Got hit first as the system moved in from the west. North Shore and mountain areas absorbed the brunt of it. Expect short-notice closures on the Kalalau Trail and Waimea Canyon roads to ease as DLNR clears debris and assesses stream crossings. Check DLNR State Parks before heading out — some trails may stay closed for a couple of days.

Oʻahu: Urban flooding was the main story — the H-1 corridor, Nimitz, and low-lying south-shore streets all saw the kind of pooling that Honolulu’s storm drains struggle with during sustained downpours. Conditions improved through Monday afternoon as the heaviest cells moved off. Stream crossings in the Koʻolau Range will be running high for a few days; pick coastal walks over ridge hikes until things drain. The City has been posting regular updates.

Maui: East Maui and the Road to Hana took the worst of it. Water over Hana Highway was reported near Hamoa earlier in the event. If you have a Hana drive on the calendar this week, give it 24–48 hours after the watch expired and check HDOT traffic alerts the morning of. West Maui (Kaʻanapali, the Lahaina-area resorts that are open) typically fares better during kona events.

Big Island: Hilo side absorbed the most rain, as expected. Flash flood warnings were issued and later canceled for parts of the island earlier in the week. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park stayed open throughout — check the NPS conditions page before driving up. Kona-side resorts barely saw the system at all and are the safest bet for sun-seekers this week.

Keep checking conditions in the morning. The watch is down, but bookmark gohawaii.com/weatheralerts and NWS Honolulu for the next few days in case any localized advisories pop back up while the islands dry out.

Give the Road to Hana, Kalalau, and waterfall hikes a 24–48 hour buffer. Streams will run high and brown for a couple of days. They look fine and then a wall of debris comes through. Pick something coastal first — a North Shore Oʻahu drive, a Po’ipū beach day, a Kohala coast snorkel — and queue the inland adventures for later in the week once trails firm up.

Front-load the dry side. Kona on Big Island, Kīhei and Wailea on Maui, Po’ipū on Kauaʻi, and Ko Olina on Oʻahu all stayed mostly dry through the event and are the highest-percentage bets for sunshine over the next few days while the wet sides recover.

Avoid any standing water on roads. Six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet. Twelve inches can carry a vehicle. If a road is flooded, turn around.

Keep WEA alerts on. Hawaiʻi uses Wireless Emergency Alerts for imminent threats. Your phone should receive them automatically as long as WEA is enabled in your settings — leave it that way for the rest of the week.

Kona lows are not unusual in late winter and early spring. Hawaiʻi’s wet season runs roughly October through April, and kona systems are the mechanism that delivers the heaviest rainfall events. The March 2026 kona low was historically severe — multiple kona lows between March 10 and March 22 dropped over 46 inches on parts of Maui and 13 inches in 12 hours on Oʻahu’s North Shore.

This system was less intense than March, but the islands were already saturated. Ground that absorbed the March storms had less capacity to soak up more water, which meant runoff happened faster and flash flooding triggered more easily. That is why the NWS issued — and then extended twice — a statewide watch rather than targeted warnings.

The system was originally expected to clear by Friday, but it moved slower than forecast and ended up dragging through the weekend and into Monday. With the watch now expired, the HVCB expects conditions to keep improving as drier trade winds re-establish through mid-week.

Tropical weather is part of what keeps these islands green. Conditions vary enormously by island and even by neighborhood — a downpour in Hilo does not mean it is raining in Kona, 90 miles away. The resorts, restaurants, cultural sites, and communities that make Hawaiʻi worth visiting are open and welcoming guests.

The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority and HVCB have set up a dedicated weather alerts page with real-time conditions and visitor guidance. If you are deciding whether to cancel, check that page first. The answer is almost certainly: come to Hawaiʻi, stay flexible, and keep an eye on the forecast.

For rental cars on your trip, Discount Hawaii Car Rental often has the best rates — and having your own car gives you the flexibility to shift plans if one part of the island is getting hammered and another is dry.

• GoHawaii.com Weather Alerts — HVCB visitor conditions page
• NWS Honolulu Active Alerts — official watches, warnings, and advisories
• HDOT Weather Traffic Alerts — road closures statewide
• DLNR State Parks — park closure announcements
• Hawaiʻi Volcanoes NP Conditions
• HTA Travel Alerts