A map of Oahu, Hawaii, from Hawaii Electric Company shows the widespread number of customers without power on March 13, 2026, due to a powerful storm. (Hawaii Electric Company)
FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii — For the second month in a row, military operations were curtailed in Hawaii on Friday due to a massive storm system bringing heavy rain, flooding and high winds.
Army Garrison Hawaii directed that only mission-essential personnel report for work Friday.
A powerful Kona low — a subtropical cyclone centered about 1,500 miles northwest of Hawaii as of Friday morning — caused the winds to shift toward the leeward side of the islands.
Oahu is forecast to receive up to 13 inches of rain by the time the storm system passes by Sunday.
The reversed pattern of trade winds has brought torrential rains, thunder and high winds to the islands of Oahu and Maui as of early Friday afternoon.
Gov. Josh Green issued an emergency proclamation on Monday ahead of the storm and subsequently ordered all public and charter schools and state offices on Oahu, Kauai and Maui to be closed on Friday.
Hawaii Electric Company reported about 8,800 customers were without power on Friday morning.
Portions of the Army’s Schofield Barracks in central Oahu were without power Friday. Schofield’s main exchange and food court were closed as of Friday afternoon due to outages. The base’s Desmond Doss Health Clinic was also closed.
Several gates, including the main Lyman Gate, were closed due to flooding. The base’s commissary was open but without power, selling all but cold and frozen food.
The Navy’s Wahiawa Annex in central Oahu closed Thursday to all non-essential personnel due to flooding.
Early last month, a slow-moving “February Front” system stalled over the state because of a strong cold front from the northwest.
It brought extreme rainfall to the Big Island, damaging winds to Maui and massive flooding on the windward side of Oahu.
