Hawaii storm update: What to do if you have a trip planned to the islands
A powerful Kona storm, a type of seasonal cyclone, has been blowing through the Hawaiian Islands this weekend, causing flooding, washed-out roads, wind advisories and flight cancellations, and some islands have been affected more than others.
Maui got the brunt of the storm on Saturday, while Hawaii Island is due to get heavy showers and winds Sunday-Monday.
Here's a guide on what to do if you have a trip planned to Hawaii in the coming days.
Is it safe to travel to Hawaii?
If you have a trip planned, we advise checking with your airline and hotel for the status of your reservations. Many travelers currently in Hawaii are stranded on some of the islands at least until Wednesday due to airline cancellations from the weekend (more on that below).
On Maui, flooding in the popular town of Kihei washed out roads, as reported by Hawaii News Now. There are multiple other road closures on the island as well; updated information is available on the Maui County government website.
It appears the storm is moving south and hovering over the island of Hawaii today, with conditions there expected to persist through Monday. The Hawaii Tourism Authority website listed a storm warning banner urging all visitors to check their flight status.
In short, while it's generally safe to travel in Hawaii at the moment, conditions vary depending on the island and specific region, so be sure to stay up to date on weather advisories in your area.
Which islands in Hawaii currently have travel advisories?
Depending on where you are planning to travel, you should check in on local weather and individual island weather sites to see if the areas you will be in are currently or will continue to be impacted.
Maui County has a flood watch in effect until Monday, March 16 at 6:00 a.m. local time as noted on its emergency alert website. The famous Road to Hana on Maui is closed due to the storm, allowing local traffic only, with no estimated reopening date given.
Oahu County (where Honolulu is located) noted a wind advisory in effect, but stated that weather conditions were improving.
Farther south on Hawaii Island, the storm is still in full force with conditions expected to persist into Monday, according to the Hawaii Department of Emergency Management and the Weather Channel.
Hawaii Airport delays and cancellations
So far on Sunday, March 15, there are several delays and cancellations at Hawaiian airports. According to FlightAware data by airport, at time of publication, these were the current conditions at Hawaii's major airports:
- Maui's Kahului Airport (OGG) had 25 flight delays and 27 cancellations.
- Honolulu's Daniel K Inouye International Airport (HNL) recorded 35 delays and 11 cancellations.
- The Big Island's Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA) recorded 7 delays and 10 cancellations and Hilo International (ITO) recorded 4 delays and zero cancellations.
- Kauai's Lihue Airport recorded 10 delays and zero cancellations.
Several other smaller Hawaiian airports were also impacted.
Airline travel advisories to Hawaii
As of publication, the following airlines were posting travel advisories and flexible change and cancellation policies to the listed airports.
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines' travel advisory page notes the following flexible travel policy in effect.
Airports: HNL, OGG, LIH, KOA, ITO
Dates: Applicable to tickets purchased on or before March 11, 2026, for travel March 11-21, 2026.
You can change your trip without a fee or fare difference for new travel in the same cabin, or cancel your trip without a fee and receive funds deposited into your account wallet or receive a credit certificate for future travel.
This applies to tickets issued by Alaska Airlines or Hawaiian Airlines, with flights operated by Alaska (AS), Hawaiian (HA), Horizon (QX), or SkyWest (OO)
American Airlines
According to American Airlines' travel advisory page, the following flexible travel policy in effect.
Airports: HNL, OGG, KOA
Dates: Tickets booked by March 10 for original travel dates of March 12-15. You must change your travel by March 15 to fly by March 18, and cannot change your origin or destination city. There are no fare differences if you rebook in your original cabin. You can also change your dates to travel within a year of the original ticket date, but a fare difference might apply.
Delta Air Lines
Delta does not currently have a travel advisory in place for Hawaii on its site, though it has cancelled several flights to and from KOA on March 15, including those between KOA and Los Angeles and Seattle.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest does not currently have a travel advisory in place for Hawaii.
United Airlines
According to United's travel advisory page, the following flexible travel policy is in effect for Hawaii.
Airports: HNL, KOA, LIH, OGG
Dates: For tickets purchased on or before March 11, for travel between March 12-15.
If your flight is affected, you can reschedule your trip with no change fees or fare differences. But you must book a new United flight departing between March 11-22 and tickets must be in the same cabin and between the same cities as originally booked.
What to do if you have a hotel or vacation rental booked in Hawaii
If you have upcoming travel to Hawaii, you might want to contact your hotel or vacation rental directly to ensure that its amenities will be open and functioning as usual.
For now, the major hotel companies including Hilton, Hyatt, IHG and Marriott, do not have any travel advisories or waivers in place for travelers with future plans. However, if you have an upcoming trip that you are having second thoughts about, check your reservation to see if you are still within the eligible cancellation window so you can adjust your plans according to your comfort level.
If you booked a nonrefundable room rate, you're likely out of luck if you do want to change your plans.
As for vacation rentals with services like Airbnb, many of these have major disruptive events cancellation policies that include severe weather, though you will likely have to show that your plans have been totally thrown off course (i.e., your flights are canceled or your rental will be inaccessible due to road closures or major utility outages) to be eligible. If the policy applies to your rental, you can cancel your reservation and receive a refund or travel credit without additional fees.
Will your credit card or trip insurance cover changes or disruptions?
TPG has a comprehensive guide on credit cards that covers trip cancellation and interruption and what travel disruptions might qualify as a natural disaster or due to adverse conditions like a major storm.
Related: 4 times your credit card's travel insurance can help with travel woes, and 7 times it won't
This type of insurance generally covers nonrefundable expenses if you need to cancel your trip (or the remainder of your trip) due to a natural disaster. However, credit card insurance policies vary, so check your benefits guide for specific exclusions.
And remember, credit card travel insurance only applies to purchases made on that card, so if you used a different payment method for portions of your trip, you won't be covered for that.
Bottom line
If you have a trip to Hawaii planned in the next week or so, proactively keep an eye on the news and your airline flight status as some airlines have issued travel waivers extending through March 21.