Tropical Depression Threatens Hawaii With Renewed Flooding as Big Island Braces for Weekend Hurricane Threat

AccuWeather hurricane experts say the newly formed Tropical Depression in the Pacific Ocean could develop into a Hurricane Saturday afternoon, local Hawaii time, as it moves northwestward and approaches Hawaii.

The Big Island of Hawaii is once again threatened for the second time in as many weeks. This latest storm could bring life-threatening flash flooding, gusty winds, and dangerous coastal conditions.

“The tropical depression will pose a back-to-back heavy rain threat for Hawaii, particularly the Big Island. The threat is especially concerning because communities are still recovering from Hurricane Lala,” said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter. “Additional heavy rain could trigger renewed flooding, landslides and other serious impacts in areas that recently sustained damage.”

What AccuWeather Expert Meteorologists Are Tracking

• AccuWeather has rated the tropical depression a 1 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes in Hawaii due to the threats of life-threatening flash flooding, gusty winds and dangerous rip currents.
• AccuWeather forecasts 8 to 12 inches of rain in higher elevations on the windward side of the Big Island, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 24 inches.
• Wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph are expected across southern and higher elevation areas of the Big Island, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 85 mph, raising the risk of renewed power outages and downed trees.

For comparison, just last weekend Hurricane Lala passed about 25 miles south of the Big Island, while Hurricane Hone in 2024 passed about 50 miles south. This latest tropical depression has a large circulation, and even if its center tracks more than 100 miles south of the island, significant rainfall impacts would still be possible.

“It appears the core of the storm will pass farther south of Hawaii than Lala did, perhaps 80-100 miles south of the Big Island,” said AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva. “The Big Island will be especially sensitive to flooding after Lala already caused significant flooding and mudslides last weekend.”

Hawaii Hurricane History

While Hurricane Lala brought hurricane conditions to Hawaii just last week, direct hurricane landfalls on the islands have historically been relatively uncommon. Notable storms include Hurricane Dot, which struck Kauai in 1959, and Hurricane Iniki, which devastated Kauai in 1992 remains the strongest hurricane to strike the Hawaiian Islands in recent history.

AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes
In contrast to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which classifies storms by wind speed only, the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes is based on a broad range of important factors. In order to better communicate a more comprehensive representation of the potential impact of a storm to lives and livelihoods, the scale covers not only wind speed but also flooding rain, storm surge and economic damage and loss.