Aloha Reader,

The first time I took my oldest son to Maui, it was early October and he was a toddler.

I was learning the island in real time while juggling two very important schedules. His nap time. And my snack time. That trip was full of what I call type 2 fun. More fun in hindsight than while you are living through it. I learned a lot on that trip, and every trip since has gone smoother because of that trial and error.

Mostly I learned that Hawaiʻi trips rarely go exactly as planned. I have been thinking about that a lot this fall, because this has been a hard hurricane season for Hawaiʻi.

NOAA predicted an above-normal season in the Central Pacific this year because of El Niño, and that is what we have seen. In August, Hurricane Lala brought catastrophic flooding to the Big Island, especially the Kaʻū district. People lost their lives and their homes, and Tropical Storm Moke brought more rain a week later. In early September, Hurricane Lowell hit Kauaʻi and knocked out power to most of the island. It also washed out roads and closed state parks on the North Shore and West Side. Then last weekend, Hurricane Nolo passed about 150 miles south of the Big Island as a major hurricane. It brought heavy rain, strong wind gusts, and big surf, but it stayed far enough away that the island was spared major damage.

If you have a fall or winter trip on the calendar and you are feeling unsure, that makes complete sense. Here is how I am thinking about it.

Hurricane season runs through November 30. Hotels, airports, and tours usually bounce back fairly quickly after a storm. The communities where people live and work take much longer. Kaʻū is still rebuilding.

Kauaʻi is a good example of how fast things can change. In mid-September, the mayor and the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority asked visitors to postpone their trips or consider another island. A couple of weeks later, the mayor's message was that Kauaʻi is open and visitors are welcome again. Most hotels, restaurants, and tours are running. Hāʻena and Wainiha on the North Shore are still limited to resident traffic, and most state parks are still closed, including the road up to Kōkeʻe.

So my advice is to follow what each island is asking for right now. If it asks for time, move your dates or pick a different island. If it says come, then come with patience, spend your money at resident-owned businesses, and stay out of the areas that are still closed.

If you are booking a trip for any time during hurricane season, buy travel insurance when you book, not later. Most policies will not cover a storm once it has been named. If you want the most flexibility, ask about Cancel For Any Reason coverage, which usually has to be added within a few weeks of your first trip payment.

Get your updates from official sources, not social media. That means the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, the county websites, and the National Weather Service in Honolulu. Once you are there, respect every closure, and stay out of streams and ocean water that looks brown after heavy rain.

October still has a lot going for it, with the warmest ocean temperatures of the year and smaller crowds. I shared more in my post on visiting Hawaiʻi in October. This year, it just comes with a little more homework.

Aloha,

Marcie

P.S. Today's podcast episode is Do You Actually Need a Whale Watching Tour in Maui?— Ep 146​