HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Portions of Manoa flooded Monday after several days of heavy rain.
Floodwaters rushed through the valley, turning school walkways into streams, submerging cars and making roads impassable.
According to Honolulu police, flooding was observed at multiple locations along East Manoa Road, including the intersections with Lowrey Avenue, Akaka Place, and Oahu Avenue.
The area was under a flash flood warning for much of the afternoon. Initial estimates from the National Weather Service had rain falling between 2 and 4 inches per hour, and stream levels running very high.
At Noelani Elementary School, water surged through campus as drainage systems were overwhelmed.
“In a matter of minutes, it just started flowing through and all the cars on Woodlawn were underwater,” said principal Bryan Gusman.
“There was a current going through the campus. It was flowing really hard,” he said. “The drains weren’t working because the system was overloaded.”
Gusman says classrooms escaped major damage, but the school will be closed Tuesday so the cafeteria and office spaces can be cleaned.
Students remained safe inside classrooms, but muddy water flooded offices and the cafeteria, prompting the school to close Tuesday for professional cleaning.
Residents described fast-moving water carrying debris into the area.
“We saw a huge slope of brown water going down into the school,” said Manoa resident William Shea. “We couldn’t even see the tires.”
“It seemed like chocolate milk soup,” added Goddess Shea. “They wouldn’t let us get the kids because it was so flooded.”
About a mile away, knee-deep water filled the parking lot at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Innovation Center.
Zachary Kaneshiro said his brother returned to find his car had been swept away.
“His car wasn’t where it should have been,” Kaneshiro said. “He saw his car floating, basically, and it ended up here.”
“When I looked inside, the entire thing was flooded,” he added.
Heavy rain also caused Manoa Stream to rise rapidly, jumping from about 3 feet to 12 feet, contributing to widespread flooding in nearby neighborhoods.
Floodwaters submerged vehicles along East Manoa Road and Oahu Avenue, forcing temporary road closures.
“The water’s just running through… the roads are broken,” said resident Phi Vu. “Now we’re just cleaning it out.”
The University of Hawaii at Manoa asked students and employees to stay inside and off roads unless absolutely necessary until further notice, citing severe rain and flooding in some parts of campus.
In an alert, UH said officials were at faculty housing to address issues in the area. UH also said some student housing — Hale Wainani G and H — were evacuated.
According to a university spokesperson, the evacuation “was done out of an abundance of caution. Water never reached the facilities. Students can go to their rooms to retrieve items and will be allowed to return permanently once the flash flood warning is canceled.”
Roads have since reopened, but cleanup efforts are ongoing across the area.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
