Hawaii declares emergency as tropical storm brings heavy rain to Big Island

Hawaii received a federal emergency declaration this month as a tropical storm tracked through the Pacific and brought heavy rain to the islands, with forecasters warning that parts of the Big Island could see more than a foot of rainfall in a matter of days.

Back-to-back storms in the Pacific

The storm arrived only days after a separate hurricane had already passed near the islands, adding to concerns about saturated ground and an elevated risk of flash flooding and landslides in both low-lying coastal areas and the state's mountainous interior. State officials said the back-to-back systems left little time for the ground to dry out between storms, raising the odds that even moderate additional rainfall could trigger dangerous runoff.

The storm was one of several to affect the broader Pacific region in quick succession this month. Around the same time, Typhoon Dolphin was tearing across eastern China as the most powerful storm to hit the country this year, part of what forecasters have described as an unusually active season across the northwest Pacific basin, in contrast to a comparatively quiet Atlantic hurricane season.

Federal response and local preparations

The federal emergency declaration authorizes disaster assistance to supplement state and local response efforts, including support for emergency protective measures such as sandbagging, shelter operations and debris clearance. State officials urged residents in flood-prone areas to prepare go-bags and avoid unnecessary travel while the storm moved through, and county emergency management offices opened shelters on the Big Island as a precaution. As of the storm's passage, no major structural damage or casualties had been reported, though officials continued to monitor stream levels in the days that followed.