HONOLULU (KHON2) — Five natural disasters have hit Hawaii hard in 2026 while hurricane season remains ongoing, which according to Governor Josh Green has totaled a bill of approximately $1 billion.
“We have just about $700 million of damage for all the storms,” Governor Green said. “I’ve asked for major disaster declarations. We’ve got them for the first two incidents. We’re waiting for the next two. It usually takes time because what we do is we get together with FEMA and we do a joint disaster assessment, and then once we have all of the damage and we’re on the same page, we submit it.”
Nolo turns north, Hurricane Warning in effect for national monument: NWS
“Sometimes we go a little earlier, and we did get a pre-declaration or a pre-landfall declaration for this one because we were very worried that if Nolo had touched down on Big Island in the south, after already having all that damage to the cemetery and to the roads, it could immediately overwhelm people. But better safe than sorry,” he said. “I’m glad it’s moved off, but boy, it’s been a heck of a season. We will do things next year and the following year to really fortify, like our harbor. I’ve proposed 175 million dollars for Honolulu Harbor, 80 million dollars for a new HIEMA center that’s state of the art.”
The year has put disaster response and recovery at the forefront of Hawaii’s Government, as two Kona Low storms, a Big Island earthquake, and Hurricanes Lala and Lowell have all damaged different areas of the state…