Campus Alert Archive
UH Manoa

Category 4 Hurricane Lane Forces First System-Wide UH Closure in a Decade

HIhurricaneemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

Hurricane Lane), a Category 4 storm, prompted the closure of all University of Hawaii campuses across Oahu and Kauai starting August 23, 2018. Hawaii Island and Maui County UH campuses had already closed on August 21. The storm brought heavy rains, flooding, and high surf to the islands, with campuses remaining closed through the weekend.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Public R1 · HI
~19,000 studentsUH Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Verified verbatimUniversity of Hawaiʻi System News official Hurricane Lane closure announcement (August 22, 2018)164 chars
All UH campuses on Oʻahu and Kauaʻi will be closed until further notice, beginning Thursday morning (August 23), along with all non-essential university operations.
Verbatim text from the August 22, 2018 UH System News announcement
Hawaiʻi Island and Maui County campuses had already been closed since August 21
Hurricane Lane was a Category 4 storm at the time of closure announcement
UPDATEEmail+1d
Approximate reconstruction240 chars
UH ALERT UPDATE: All UH campuses and offices statewide remain closed Friday, August 24 due to Hurricane Lane. Continue to monitor hawaii.edu/emergency for reopening information. Stay safe and follow county emergency management instructions.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from the August 24 UH system news update
By this point the storm had weakened but continued to produce heavy rainfall and flooding across the islands
ALL CLEAREmail
Approximate reconstruction200 chars
UH ALERT UPDATE: All UH campuses will reopen Monday, August 27. Normal operations resume. Please check with your campus for any schedule adjustments. Thank you for your patience during Hurricane Lane.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from news coverage of UH reopening; exact wording not confirmed
Campuses were closed for approximately four days system-wide
Context

Background

Hurricane Lane) was a powerful Category 4 hurricane that threatened the Hawaiian Islands in late August 2018. The University of Hawaii system enacted a staggered closure, beginning with Hawaii Island and Maui County campuses on August 21 and extending to all Oahu and Kauai campuses on August 23. This represented one of the most extensive weather-related closures in the UH system's history. While the storm ultimately weakened and did not make direct landfall, it brought record-breaking rainfall to parts of the Big Island (over 50 inches in some areas) and caused significant flooding across the state. Residence halls at UH Manoa and UH Hilo remained open for students who could not evacuate, with housing staff providing specific instructions. The closure affected approximately 50,000 students across the 10-campus UH system.
Analysis

Key Findings

Hurricane Lane prompted a system-wide closure of all 10 UH campuses, one of the most extensive weather closures in system history
The staggered closure approach (Big Island/Maui first, then Oahu/Kauai) reflected the storm's projected path
Residence halls remained open as shelters for students who could not leave campus
Outcome
All UH campuses closed through Sunday, August 26. Residence halls remained open for student residents. No fatalities on campus. The storm weakened before making direct landfall but caused significant flooding statewide.
Provenance

Sources

  1. official statement
    Hawaii Island and Maui County UH campuses closed due to hurricane (UH System News)
    hawaii.edu
  2. official statement
    Oahu, Kauai UH campuses to close Thursday, August 23 due to hurricane (UH System News)
    hawaii.edu
  3. official statement
    August 24, 10:55 Hurricane Lane update (UH System News)
    hawaii.edu
Tags
hurricanecampus-closureweather-emergencyhawaiisystem-wide-closurehurricane-lanecategory-4
Added April 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion