The Kona Lowfloods of 2026
From February into April, storm after storm hit Oʻahu and gave the island its worst flooding in more than 20 years. The Wahiawā Dam came close to failing. On the North Shore, families woke up to rivers running through their homes.
Where
North Shore, Mānoa, Waimānalo, Kāneʻohe, Waiʻanae and Lāʻie
When
February 2026 – now
Status
Active, long-term recovery
Alongside
North Shore Christian Fellowship, River of Life Mission, Honolulu Christian Church, King’s Oahu, One Love, Samaritan’s Purse, Team Rubicon, Aloha Junkman
2 a.m.
They grabbed their kids and swam.
On one North Shore property, six rental homes started cracking in the middle of the night. Families grabbed their kids and swam about 75 yards through rushing water to high ground. By morning, three of the houses were gone down the river.
Most of them were renters. Renters don’t have flood insurance. Literally everything they owned was gone.
“We are grassroots, boots on the ground. We are Hawaiʻi-based, serving Hawaiʻi.”Inside Outreach, March 2026
Thousands of hands
Hubs, trucks and teams.
Daniel and Lucy opened a resource hub at Honolulu Christian Church in Mānoa. Aunty Blanche turned Hui Mahiʻai ʻĀina into a drop-off. In Haleʻiwa, North Shore Christian Fellowship sent out more than 20 teams of 10 to 20 people from the WCA gym in a single morning.
Local news counted our volunteers in the thousands. Comedian Anjelah Johnson gave part of her show proceeds. In the first days, more than $20,000 came in.
“Really, people are always ready and want to help. They just need to know how and when.”Josue Aguilar, Director, in local news coverage
Back to work
Getting the helpers back up.
When the people who serve others get hit, everyone feels it. Kokokahi Gymnastics lost its building, so volunteers cleaned it out and then moved every mat to a new space so keiki could get back to class. LauLau Solutions lost generators, mowers and livestock, and volunteers cleared their farm.
We moved roofing for JNL Ranch, dug out the Kapu ʻohana’s farm in Lāʻie, and hosted a free night for North Shore business owners with Pacific Business Funding on insurance claims, funding and marketing.
The long haul
After the cameras left.
Months later, families are still moving back in while going back to work. We kept delivering furniture and appliances. Samaritan’s Purse bought appliances. Kaleo and his family laid new floors, and taught us how along the way.
Maile’s home flooded too. Her business, Maile’s Cleaning Services, is back up and running. Supporting a flooded family’s business is one of the best ways to help them rebuild.
Before the next one
Clearing what made it worse.
Recovery also means prevention. With Team Rubicon, landowners and volunteers, we cleared several hundred yards of mangroves and debris choking the last stretch of river into Kaiaka Bay, a section the City and State hadn’t reached.
We’re clearing streams in Haleʻiwa and mapping the heavy-equipment work still left in Waialua with farmers, residents and operators.
Watch ithappen.
Follow on InstagramWho we are, and what’s really happening
20+ teams out of the Haleʻiwa gym
Moments from a day in the mud
The Mānoa resource hub opens
On the news: turning compassion into action
A family that needs a new van
Kokokahi Gymnastics reopens for keiki
Volunteer day at LauLau Solutions
Cleaning up the Kapu ʻohana farm in Lāʻie
North Shore business recovery night
New floors with Kaleo and his family
Furniture for Maile’s family
Clearing the waterway into Kaiaka Bay
Flood prevention stream workday
Donations still going out to families
The numbersbehind this story.
The water went down in days. The damage to family budgets, farms and small businesses will take years.
Recovery outlaststhe headlines.
Families are still buying back fridges, beds and washers while paying rent. A monthly gift keeps us showing up for the long haul, and ready for the next storm.