This Is Now

Hawaii News Now provides coverage of damages from Hurricane Lowell, and how the storm has impacted the state.

State and county emergency crews are actively mobilizing personnel and heavy equipment across the islands as Hurricane Lowell threatens a northward turn toward the state. Gov. Josh Green joined Kauaʻi County Mayor Derek Kawakami, Hawaiʻi Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan and National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist John Bravender to outline preparations ahead of the storm.

We're learning more about Hurricane Lowell's potential sharp turn and when the system is expected to make its closest approach to the islands. FEMA is giving Hawaii more than $18 million to help weather disaster-related power grid impacts. Two people were rushed to the hospital after being burned in a fire near Black Rock Beach in Nanakuli.

Hurricane Lowell has strengthened into an extremely powerful Category 5 storm, with its forecast track showing a sharp right turn to the north over the weekend. Meanwhile, Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda provides an update on recovery efforts more than two weeks after Hurricane Lala. And in local news, a woman has been killed following an overnight rollover crash in McCully. 

The U.S. is taking additional military action against Iran following reported attacks in the Strait of Hormuz. Paramedics responded to two separate crashes involving motor bikes on Oahu's North Shore, both resulting in serious injuries. How Tropical Storm Lowell will impact our islands when it's forecasted to pass south of Hawaii Island late Wednesday into Thursday. 

Honolulu's new police chief announced his new permanent deputy chiefs Monday, describing them as forward thinkers and steady leaders with integrity and a strong work ethic. A deputy city prosecutor was among several arrested on suspicion of DUI during a joint enforcement effort yesterday. Police are searching for the driver behind an early-morning hit-and-run on the H-1 Freeway that critically injured a woman.

Breaking news out of the Hawaii Supreme Court where justices have declared City Council Chair Tommy Waters ineligible to run for another term. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has granted a pardon to Sae Joon Park, the Purple Heart veteran who self deported to Korea last year after living in the U-S for nearly 50 years. And the U.S. Treasury Department announced new steps today to further isolate Iran economically, as the war hits the six-month mark today.  

President Trump is redesigning the map of the border with the U.S. and Canada, as trade talks with the northern neighbor are off. Honolulu police are warning the public after responding to a dozen overdoses in less than a week on Oahu. And HPD's new chief says it's time to make Waianae its own police district, with a new station and more officers.

For the first time since his arrest for murder six years ago, a Maui man is speaking out from behind bars claiming he's innocent. A Hawaii Island mother whose son was struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver is shocked to find out the suspect moved to Florida. A compact wastewater treatment system is being tested in Central Oahu to offer thousands of homes on cesspools an affordable alternative.

Country music legend Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80 — we explore her special connections to Hawaii. The family of a Southwest Airlines flight attendant found dead in Waikiki last week wants more information on her passing. A West Oahu lawmaker who lost a random drawing to break a primary election tie has filed a challenge with the Hawaii Supreme Court.

Tropical Depression Moke continues on a path well south of the islands, but shower bands associated with it could still bring a threat of flash flooding to parts of Hawai'i Island. While Hilo was spared from Moke's heavy rain, over 6,400 Hawaiian Electric customers remained out of power as restoration work focused on areas hit hardest by Hurricane Lala. Meanwhile, the state Department of Education is distributing free weekly meals for children in the Ka'ū district.

University of Hawaii researchers said Hurricane Lala dumped enough rainwater on the islands to fill nearly 2 million Olympic-sized pools, with Hawaii Island alone receiving 833 billion gallons of rain. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is closing all park sites at 5 p.m. ahead of the new storm system, Tropical Storm Moke. Hawaiian Electric expects nearly all impacted customers to be restored on Hawaii Island by today, except for customers in remote and severely damaged areas.

On-the-ground reports from our newsroom detailing the devastating wreckage left in the wake of Hurricane Lala. Authorities discover what's believed to be a second storm fatality on Hawaii Island. An update on power outages across the islands and what Hawaiian Electric crews are doing to restore power to those impacted.

Storm recovery efforts are in full swing on Hawaii Island, with convoys delivering food, water, and ice to Kaʻu. Over 57,000 residents on Hawaii Island and Oahu are still out of power as emergency crews fly in from California to help. Meanwhile police identified a 93-year-old who was found dead by search crews after going missing during the height of Hurricane Lala.

Hawaiian Electric says over 117,000 customers remain without power after Hurricane Lala heavily damaged Hawaii Island's transmission system. Meanwhile all government offices, courts, and schools are closed today, with most campuses reopening tomorrow. And for many in Pahala, the situation is starting to feel dire with no power, running water, or sewer services.

All eyes are on Tropical Storm Lala - as it moves closer to the islands, it's expected to strengthen into a hurricane by Saturday morning. A judge has denied Gerhardt Konig's request for a new trial, the Maui doctor convicted of attempted manslaughter for attacking his wife during a hike on Oahu. And even though the weather is canceling many events across the islands this weekend, the UH Soccer game is still a go, but officials have decided to move the match up a day instead.

We're tracking Tropical Storm Lala. The system is about 650 miles east-southeast of Hilo and strengthening, putting Hawaii Island under a Hurricane Watch. A man who was stabbed in the Ala Moana area this morning has died. And Governor Green announced that the Navy will be returning nearly 44 acres of federal property back to the state.

Emergency management leaders are tracking the active storms as local officials are urging everyone to prepare for the potentially hazardous weather. Election results are in for the two recounts that went into late last night. Plus, an Oahu grand jury indicts two defendants in the Waianae torture case. 

A recount of primary election votes in two hotly contested Republican races with results so close, the recount is mandated by law. We're learning more about contractor Gary Cordery, the GOP winner of Saturday's primary who's attempting to spoke to unseat Hawaii's dominant democrat. And two brothers in their 30s were arrested on Maui for alleged labor trafficking. 

The Maili couple accused in what authorities are calling "an extreme case of child abuse" appeared in court this morning. On Maui, two men have now been charged with murder following an attack that left a 71-year-old man dead. And Honolulu police are searching for three suspects in an attempted murder investigation in Ewa Beach.

Honolulu police have arrested two people after a child reported being tortured at a home in Waianae. We're hearing from the siblings of Peter Boy Kema for the first time since the state agreed to settle a lawsuit over their brother's death in 1996. And on Maui, we're learning more details about the beating death of a man at a Lahaina condo complex.

We're learning more about the Maui Police lieutenant who was arrested by federal authorities and the public corruption charges he's facing. Also on the Valley Isle, a man is in custody for allegedly beating another man to death in Lahaina. And a Honolulu man convicted of killing his wife's ex-lover won't be eligible for parole for another 24 years, according to an article in the Honolulu Star Advertiser.

The latest out of Kalihi, where authorities are searching for an inmate who escaped from Oahu Community Correctional Center. The search comes as Honolulu police launch a first-responder drone program to respond to certain calls. On Hawaii Island, a man is in critical condition after he was shot multiple times in Mountain View.

Doubts and confusion remain today that the U.S.-Iran war was nearing a resolution, as Tehran pushed back against President Trump's assertion that ceasefire talks were under way. A long-shot congressional candidate was jailed on Maui after a violent clash in South Kihei. And Kauai police are on the hunt for teenagers suspected of vandalizing a locally-owned business.

President Trump expressed frustration with Iran today, warning "this is the last chance for them to sign a good document." It was a deadly weekend off Kauai with a woman and man pulled from the water in separate incidents. Hawaii Island police are investigating a deadly crash that killed a 51-year-old woman.

State officials say the first felony arrest has been made under a new law named after a Makaha rancher who was fatally shot while confronting trespassers on his property back in 2024. On Maui, another teen - a 14-year-old boy from Lahaina - has turned himself into police after a riot at a Lahaina resort two weeks ago that left multiple people injured. A third teen has been arrested for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars worth of luxury items from the Shops of Wailea. 

Four of the five defendants in the state's biggest bribery case made their first court appearance today. Police have charged 24-year-old Austin Otto Smith in connection with a stabbing inside the Wahiawa McDonalds on Monday. And Honolulu fire investigators have determined a fire was intentionally set in the basement of an Alewa Heights home.

A 22-year-old man is in critical condition after crashing into two telephone poles on Oahu's North Shore. Police are searching for a hit-and-run driver after a crash left a man with life-threatening injuries on Sand Island Access Road. And Dr. Anthony Fauci, who was the infectious disease expert during the COVID pandemic, refused to answer lawmakers questions during a fiery hearing on Capitol Hill today.

We're following some breaking news in Waikiki where power is out for businesses in the area following reports of a loud boom. Several world leaders are here in the U.S. to pay their respects to South Carolina Senator Lindsay Graham. And just 12 days before the election, with voting already underway, a judge has ruled that the chair of the Honolulu City Council, Tommy Waters, cannot be re-elected.

We're following breaking political news that throws an important City Council race into chaos, as a state judge declared Council Chair Tommy Waters ineligible to run for a third term. Four current and former state officials and a businessman have been indicted in what experts are calling the biggest bribery scandal in state history. And on Hawaii Island, a wildfire in South Kohala near Kawaihae has been extinguished. 

President Trump had a warning for Russia and China regarding the conflict in Iran, as the White House launches new tariffs against dozens of countries including U.S. allies. Hawaii is among 25 states suing the Trump administration over new conditions tied to federal disaster and security funding. And a former Kauai resident has been indicted for trafficking Fentanyl. 

As fighting with Iran escalates, the U.S. is sending dozens of medics to an American military hospital in Germany to treat service members who are injured in the conflict. Health officials are investigating a new separate outbreak of the parasite cyclospora, involving more than 70 cases. And we're learning more about a large fight at a West Maui resort last Friday.

A solemn ceremony today at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where leaders attended the Dignified Transfer for the four U.S. troops killed in the Middle East this week, including 1st Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan who had previously lived in Ewa Beach. Gov. Josh Green says the Hawaii attorney general is about to announce major new developments in the bribery probe at the state capitol. And a pair of Kailua-Kona men have been charged in connection to two stabbings at a graduation party on Hawaii Island. 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth just wrapped up his testimony on Capitol Hill for the first time since the recent escalation with Iran and the deaths of 3 U.S. service members, including a soldier with Hawaii ties. A trial is underway for the man accused of killing his girlfriend and their 6-month-old son in Ewa Beach. And prosecutors say a motion for a new trial for Gerhardt Konig should be thrown out -- the 47-year-old anesthesiologist from Maui was convicted of attempted manslaughter. 

An Army soldier from Ewa Beach is one of two U.S. service members who were killed in Jordan over the weekend during an attack from Iran. Honolulu Police are looking for the suspect in an armed robbery at a convenience store in Kalihi early this morning. And a man who was found unconscious inside a burning building this morning in Makakilo has died.

The Trump Administration is taking action after the President's speech on election integrity yesterday. Here at home, Hawaii elections officials are defending the security and integrity of voting in Hawaii, as ballots are already in the mail to voters. And a federal push for deep-sea mining in the pacific ocean is facing pushback from environmentalists. 

President Trump is set to address to the nation tonight on what he calls, "election integrity." New video into our newsroom shows two men being rescued by the U-S Coast guard after a 10-foot catamaran capsized off Haleiwa Tuesday morning. And alleged carjacker Garrett Spencer made his first court appearance this morning, pleading not guilty. 

Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono was among the lawmakers today asking tough questions of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. An Oahu man accused of sending money to Iran through non-traditional banking channels over several years pleaded guilty today in court. And Governor Josh Green signed a bill into law to help improve the health of Hawaii residents, requiring the state Department of Transportation to establish a state wide clean fuel standard.

Honolulu's prosecutor says no charges will be filed against the two Honolulu police officers involved in a fatal shooting in Makaha last year. On Hawaii Island, two men have been charged in connection with a shooting in Hamakua Friday night. And the suspect in a carjacking at the Honolulu airport last week has been charged with theft, but the victims in the case say he should face more severe charges. 

Governor Josh Green signed into law today a bill that help protects educators from harassment and creates stricter penalties for their violators. Some Hawaii lawmakers are raising questions about what happens if mail-in ballots can't be delivered before November's general election. And the governor of South Carolina announced his pick to fill to the senate seat of Senator Lindsey Graham, who passed away unexpectedly over the weekend. 

President Trump said he has agreed to continue peace negotiations at Tehran's request but, at the same time, said the cease-fire with Iran is over. A 14-year-old suspect has now been charged on multiple counts after a violent carjacking case out of Waianae that ended with a crash in town. And an Oahu family is safe and relieved after someone hijacked their car outside the baggage claim area at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.

President Trump has wrapped up what he called a very successful NATO Summit in Turkey. Residents on Kauai's North Shore attended a tense meeting with KPD over their handling of the Billy Sinclair manhunt last month. And police tell us a 14-year-old suspect armed with a machete threatened a 76-year-old woman just before 12:30 this morning.

Gov. Josh Green signed into law bills that ban vape sales and disposable e-cigarettes to help curb youth vaping and reduce fire and environmental risks. Officials lifted the stay-at-home order, but many areas of Guam and the Marianas remain without power, water, or communications after Super Typhoon Bavi. Police are investigating a burglary in Mapunapuna, where thieves broke into a used car lot and drove off with several vehicles.

Governor Green has signed into law a bill that strengthens Hawaii's ability to compete for major film, television, and streaming productions. President trump held a ceremony at the white house to celebrate the official launch of his new investment accounts for American children. And Honolulu EMS officials tell us they did not need to rush anyone to the hospital because of any fireworks mishaps.

Celebrations are underway for the nation's 250th Anniversary, as President Trump is set to lead the festivities at Mount Rushmore tonight. Honolulu Hale, Kapolei Hale and the Blaisdell Center will be lit up in red, white and blue from sundown tonight to sunrise on Sunday, part of a nationwide initiative called "light to unite." And Governor Josh Green announced that Hawaii will be the first state in the nation to ensure every eligible child in foster care is set up with a savings account with seed money.

A new era officially began for the Honolulu Police Department as David Lazar was sworn in as HPD's 13th police chief this morning. Jeremy Calizo pleaded no contest to six felony counts relating to illegal Explosive Devices related to an incident in December of 2024 in Waipahu. And police have identified the second suspect in an attempted armed robbery in Mokuleia Friday as Bryson Noa-Halemano.

President Trump traveled west today aboard a new Air Force One plane donated by the government of Qatar, which is now also playing a key role in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. 14 endangered missing keiki between the ages of 13 and 17 were safely recovered on Oahu in the latest multi-agency child recovery effort known as Operation Shine the Light. And a Washington state woman remains in federal custody in Honolulu today on charges that she tried to bring 34 pounds of cocaine onto a flight from Honolulu to Japan.

Federal and local leaders launched a campaign to educate the public about wildfire conditions across Hawaii and steps residents can take to prepare. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Trump's executive order to restrict birthright citizenship. Police on Hawaii Island are investigating a weekend assault in Kailua-Kona that left two men injured.

A 36-year-old woman is in custody following a stabbing in Nanakuli that sent three other women to the hospital. Charges will not be filed in a Kalihi attempted murder case after investigators say the man arrested acted in self-defense. A former city employee accused of stealing from the Hawaii Foodbank appeared in court this morning.

Two westbound lanes of the H-1 Freeway were closed after an excavator on a flatbed truck hit the Aala Street overpass, causing concrete to fall on the road. Talks appear to have stalled in the case against former Oahu resident Luigi Mangione in the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO. The Hawaii State Department of Health has ordered a junkyard next to Waiawa stream to shut down after multiple city violations.