Hawaii

Hawaii Volcanoes national park closed due to eruption of one of world’s most active volcanoes, located on Big IslandAmber lava exploded over 200 meters into the air as Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, located on Hawaii’s Big Island, erupted on Thursday.Lava fountains began to erupt from the volcano after 11 am local time, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). On Thursday evening, plumes of smoke and lava pouring downslope were observable on a livestream camera. So far, the episode has produced 3.6 million cubic yards of lava, USGS said. Continue reading...

Do No Harm activist group alleges ‘racial discrimination’ in program designed to support under-served communitiesSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxConservative campaigners are targeting a decades-old federal scholarship program designed to provide Native Hawaiian students with funding to pursue healthcare careers and place practitioners in the state’s most medically under-served communities.Do No Harm, a Virginia-based advocacy group for healthcare clinicians “focused on keeping identity politics out of medical education, research, and clinical practice”, filed its federal lawsuit challenging the US health department’s Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program (NHHSP) last week. Continue reading...

Prosecutors alleged Gerhardt Konig, 47, had planned to kill Arielle Konig during a birthday trip to HonoluluA Hawaii anesthesiologist who was accused of trying to murder his wife on a cliffside hike last year has been convicted of attempted manslaughter, a lesser charge.A Honolulu jury returned the verdict against Gerhardt Konig, 47, on Wednesday after a day of deliberations. Continue reading...

Two others injured after sightseeing aircraft comes down on remote beach on Na Pali CoastA tourist helicopter crashed on a remote beach on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, killing three people and injuring two others, authorities said.The helicopter was carrying one pilot and four passengers when it crashed on Thursday afternoon at Kalalau Beach, the Kauai fire department said. The beach is on the Na Pali Coast on Kauai’s north shore. The area is otherwise reachable only by hiking or boat. Continue reading...

Oahu residents face gruelling cleanup as floods damage hundreds of homes and losses are expected to top $1bnSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe worst flooding to hit Hawaii in two decades has swept homes off their foundations, floated cars out of driveways and left floors, walls and counters covered in thick, reddish volcanic mud.Authorities said hundreds of homes had been damaged, along with some schools and a hospital. On Monday, new downpours set off a fresh round of flooding on Oahu’s south side while residents on the island’s North Shore cleaned up and assessed the destruction from last week’s torrents. The National Weather Service said showers and thunderstorms were expected to wane but the Big Island remained under a flash flood watch. Continue reading...

People evacuated on Oahu and Maui as rains lifted houses and cars, swept through grocery stores and left a layer of mud in streetsSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxHawaii is coming to grips with the extensive damage left by the worst flooding the islands have seen in more than 20 years.Over the weekend, heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week ago, forcing thousands on the North Shore of Oahu to evacuate before more evacuations for parts of the island of Maui. Continue reading...

People in hard-hit areas of Oahu and Maui told to evacuate with still more rain expected over the weekendAs Hawaii endures its worst flooding in more than 20 years, officials urged people in hard-hit areas to “LEAVE NOW”. That warning early on Saturday came after heavy rains fell on soil already saturated by downpours from a winter storm a week ago, and still more was expected over the weekend.Muddy floodwaters smothered vast stretches of Oahu’s North Shore, a community renowned for its big-wave surfing. Raging waters lifted homes and cars and prompted evacuation orders for 5,500 people north of Honolulu. Authorities cautioned that a 120-year-old dam could fail. Continue reading...

Officials warn some residents could be trapped by rising waters as Wahiawā dam on Oahu ‘may collapse at any time’Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxTowering flash floods and an imminent dam failure in the northern part of Oahu triggered evacuation warnings in Hawaii on Friday, as the state continued contending with a powerful storm this week.The waters came on quickly in the middle of the night, and videos on social media captured inundated streets and cars being swallowed by the muddy floodwaters. Continue reading...

Rain fell between 1 and 2in hourly in Maui, Molokai and the Big Island while tens of thousands are without powerRain continued falling in Hawaii on Sunday where a strong storm brought flash flooding, blizzard conditions and landslides to the islands as residents reported collapsed roads and one home washing away in rising waters.Flash flooding has been a major problem in recent days in places such as Maui, Molokai and the Big Island, where rain had been falling between 1 and 2in (2.5 and 5cm) an hour overnight, according to the Hawaii emergency management agency. Continue reading...