Honolulu City & County, Department of Community Services

10/08/2026

Flash flood warning effect until 1:15pm today. Warning may be updated or extended if conditions change.
Use caution outdoors. Isolated park and field closures around Oahu. Check before you head out.
DOT reports ponding on Kam Hwy in Haleiwa near Velzyland Beach. There are no road closures at this time. Drivers advised to avoid the area, if possible.
If driving is unavoidable, drive with caution.
Follow all instructions from police and first responders. Treat any signal outages as 4 way stops.
Safety reminders:
• Stay informed: Monitor official sources for updates and instructions, including local emergency management channels and trusted local media (TV/radio). Avoid unverified information.
• Follow instructions from emergency officials: Carefully follow directions from emergency responders and public safety officials. These instructions are issued to protect lives.
• Call 911 for emergencies only: Use 911 only for life-threatening emergencies. Do not call 911 for general information or updates.
• Evacuate if instructed: If told to evacuate, do so immediately. Bring essential items and your Go Bag. Ensure pets are secured with leashes or carriers. If you feel unsafe or are unable to leave quickly, do not wait for official instructions.
• Avoid affected areas: Stay away from impacted areas to allow emergency crews to do their work safely and efficiently.
• Check on others: If it is safe to do so, check on neighbors, especially kūpuna, individuals with disabilities, and others who may need assistance

HNL Alert: Flash Flood Warning Issued - Take Action! Dangerous flash flooding is happening or will happen soon. Move to higher ground. Avoid flooded areas/roads. View forecast details at weather.hnlalert.gov. Monitor alert.hnlalert.gov for updates.

09/19/2026

Great news! The City and County of Honolulu Department of Community Services (DCS) Kōkua Command Center has been recognized with the Best IT Collaboration among Organizations Award at the Digital Government Summit for the development of an innovative shelter-capacity platform designed to strengthen coordination and information sharing.
DCS partnered with the Department of Information Technology, whose innovation and technical expertise helped bring the platform to life, along with the City’s Chief Data Officer and team. Together, they developed a centralized system for sharing timely information about shelter capacity, replacing a process that previously relied heavily on phone calls to identify available beds.
The technology supports mobile use, real-time data sharing and mapping capabilities, helping teams in the field access and share information more efficiently. Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement, the Honolulu Police Department, other City and State agencies, shelter providers and community partners contribute to the broader network of partners sharing information and coordinating through the Kōkua Command Center.
The award recognizes both the technology and the collaboration behind it, demonstrating how shared information can support more coordinated, informed and responsive services for people experiencing homelessness. Pictured (left – right): Christine Sakuda, Andy Huynh, Stephen Courtney, Brian McKee, Nancy Vo.

09/08/2026

Weather update...

09/07/2026

HONOLULU – The City and County of Honolulu is urging North Shore residents to complete storm preparations as the National Weather Service has upgraded portions of Oʻahu from a Tropical Storm Watch to a Tropical Storm Warning Monday morning.

The warning includes Haleʻiwa, Waialua and Mokulēʻia and means tropical storm-force winds are expected somewhere within the warning area within the next 36 hours.

The latest forecast calls for winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 45 mph across the North Shore, with the potential for stronger tropical storm-force winds. The National Weather Service warns that strong winds could bring down large tree limbs and some trees, blow around unsecured objects, create hazardous driving conditions and cause scattered power and communications outages.

A Flood Watch remains in effect, with an additional 3 to 6 inches of rain possible and locally higher amounts. Heavy rainfall could cause flash flooding, rapidly rising streams, dangerous roadway conditions and possible road and bridge closures.
Conditions may also support a few isolated tornadoes.

Residents in the warning area should secure or bring inside outdoor furniture, trash cans and other loose objects; charge phones and essential devices; check emergency supplies; and prepare for the possibility of power outages.

Residents in areas vulnerable to flooding should be especially vigilant. Streams and drainage channels can rise quickly during periods of intense rainfall, and flooding may occur in low-lying and poor-drainage areas.

Motorists should avoid unnecessary travel during periods of heavy rain and strong winds and never attempt to drive through a flooded roadway. Turn around, don’t drown.

While no storm surge inundation is currently forecast, rough surf, coastal erosion and life-threatening rip currents remain possible. Residents and visitors should exercise extreme caution near shorelines and stay out of hazardous ocean conditions.

If a Tornado Warning is issued for your area, immediately move to a safe location, preferably an interior room on the lowest level of a sturdy building and away from windows.

City departments and first responders continue to monitor conditions and are prepared to respond throughout the weather event.

Residents should closely monitor official forecasts and warnings from the National Weather Service and stay alert for emergency information from the City and County of Honolulu.

09/02/2026

HELPING THOSE IN NEED

Originally launched as a pilot program, the Mental Health 3 (MH-3) initiative is now permanent and expanding across Oʻahu.

This program brings together the Honolulu Police Department (HPD), Community Outreach Response and Engagement (CORE) teams, behavioral health professionals, and homeless outreach providers to connect individuals experiencing mental health crises with the appropriate care and services.

Since its launch in January 2026, the program has assisted 150 individuals.

‘MH-3’ comes from the MH-3 form which licensed health care providers fill out to authorize the transport of someone for an emergency mental health examination.

08/28/2026

The Department of Community Services was honored to host the Childhood Homelessness Coalition meeting at the Kokua Command Center.

08/26/2026

That’s a wrap on another successful food distribution. 💚💪🏽

In partnership with City and County of Honolulu, Hawai‘i Foodbank, and Honolulu City & County, Department of Community Services, we held our third food distribution to help those affected by Tropical Storm Lala.

This morning, we distributed about 100,000 pounds of food and supplies to about 400 households on the West Coast of Oʻahu.

A big mahalo to The Salvation Army USA, Jill Tokuda, Rep Chris Muraoka, and the rest of our volunteers who helped distribute food to our community. We also want to give a shoutout to Zippy's, 7-Eleven, Kamehameha Bakery, and Walmart for donating meals and keeping our volunteers hydrated in the Waiʻanae heat.

And finally, we couldn’t do the work without our food suppliers and farmers. Mahalo to Aloun Farms, MAʻO Organic Farms, Hawaii Foodservice Alliance, and the Hawaiʻi Foodbank for the continuous support to feed our families on the West Side.

08/26/2026

Mahalo to ʻElepaio Social Services, which hosted a food distribution today at the Waiʻanae Boat Harbor, providing food to more than 350 households. Students from Papahana ʻo Kaiona were there to lend a hand, alongside community members.

The City is helping support food distributions like this one with $200,000 in emergency funding to Hawaiʻi Foodbank following Tropical Storm Lala. Mahalo to the many community partners and volunteers who support these food distributions and help get food to families across Oʻahu.

08/25/2026