Hawaii 24/7

MEDIA RELEASE Gov. Neil Abercrombie has announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated Hawaii County as a primary natural disaster area resulting from ongoing drought conditions. The governor last month applied for the designation, which clears the way for Hawaii Island farmers and ranchers to apply for available federal relief. Hawaii County was [...]

Read the full story

‘The best time to start protecting our mauka watersheds was decades ago. The second best time is now.’

Read the full story

Some drought recovery expected on the Big Island and Maui County but full recovery may be elusive due to intensity and longevity of existing drought conditions.

Read the full story

The Big Island’s conditions over the past week were similar to that of the week prior. Cloudy skies over the windward coast continued to drop heavy rains. Areas, which received three inches over the prior week, went on to receive over five inches this week. Leeward areas were also able to pick up slightly more rain than the previous week which is helping the drought stricken area. The Waimea Irrigation System water level was marked at 50 feet on Friday, November 7th; no change from the previous week’s reading. The current conservation status is unrestricted.

Read the full story

MEDIA RELEASE Due to continued drought over the past year and extreme fire hazard conditions due to dryer than normal vegetation, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife is extending the closure of Mauna Kea Forest Reserve and Kaohe Game Management Area until Dec. 31. Closure authority is under Hawai‘i [...]

Read the full story

Leeward and the Ka`u District continue to suffer dry weather conditions. Leeward Kona showers resulted in slightly improved drought ratings in that area. Coffee harvest activities continued with no weather related delays island-wide. The Waimea Irrigation System water level was marked at 48 feet on Friday, October 7th; no change from the previous week’s reading. The current conservation status is unrestricted.

Read the full story

The summer maximum of the south Kona region ended with a total of 11.9 inches during the months of July, August, and September, according to the National Weather Service. True to normal trends, rain over the last three months has accounted for 63 percent of the rain over the last nine months. The Waimea Irrigation System water level was marked at 48 feet on Friday, October 1st; a decrease of 3 percent from the previous week’s reading of 49.5 feet.

Read the full story

Extreme fire danger conditions continue in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park due to a prolonged dry spell.

To reduce the risk of wildland fire, the following areas are closed to all visitor use including driving, hiking, biking, and horse riding:

Mauna Loa Road at Kipukapuaulu
Hilina Pali Road at Mauna Iki Trailhead
Ainahou

Read the full story

MEDIA RELEASE U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack has designated all four Hawaii counties as agricultural disaster areas due to losses caused by this year’s drought. A secretarial disaster designation makes farm operators and producers in both primary and contiguous counties eligible to be considered for Farm Service Agency emergency loans and the Supplemental [...]

Read the full story

MEDIA RELEASE The continuing drought conditions on Hawaii Island has caused agricultural producers to suffer crop and livestock losses. Farms and ranches experiencing severe drought conditions may be eligible for cost-share assistance under the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP). This disaster program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency (FSA), provides cost-share assistance [...]

Read the full story

The Drought Monitor showed that an astounding 99.6% of the State was under some type of drought classification. The two most extreme classifications (D3 – Extreme and D4 – Exceptional) were contained in Hawaii County. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) anticipates below-normal rainfall through the summer.

Read the full story

Conditions remain very poor in general along the leeward areas of the island. The ongoing drought has significantly affected a wide range of agricultural products including coffee…avocados… rambutan… bananas…macadamia nuts…loquat and jaboticaba. Only drought-resistant trees and crops have been producing well. Ranchers in the lower Ka‘u and leeward Kohala slopes continue to operate under very poor conditions for livestock.

Read the full story