Hawaiian Volcano Update: Kīlauea’s Post-Episode 43 & Kona Low Storm - March 19, 2026

Starting last Friday, the Hawaiian Islands were hit by a powerful Kona Low, an extratropical cyclone, that caused widespread damage and long-lasting power outages. Heavy rain soaked much of the island, with more than two feet or 120 cm falling in parts of southern Hawaiʻi Island. At the peak, high winds knocked down trees and power lines, causing outages that affected about 27,500 households, roughly 30% of the island. As of the latest update from Hawaiʻi Electric, over 1,000 homes are still without power. A second Kona Low system is expected to make landfall this weekend. Requests for assistance can be submitted Hawai'i county via bit.ly/vh-rfa

On the volcanic side, Kīlauea remained shrouded and quiet, with monitoring instruments also registering the impacts of heavy rainfall; otherwise the rain had only minor effects on the lava and did not affect the eruption. Of note, episode 43’s high fountains have been revised upwards to 1770 feet or 540 meters using better data, marking the record of the 15-month eruption thus far. Since the end of episode 43, the volcano has recovered just over one quarter of the ground tilt signal lost on March 10, dampened by lingering storm effects. This shifts the anticipated window for episode 44 back to between April 1 and April 10, according to models from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. 

Ongoing winds from the south are expected to bring volcanic emissions into residential communities north and east of the volcano, although heavy rainfall can also limit their impact. As is typical between fountaining episodes, both vents are degassing their typical 1,000 to 5,000 tonnes of SO2 per day, which while low-level for the current activity, is still much greater than industrial standards and impactful to downwind residents. Both during and between episodes, vog and tephra remain the most common hazards for island residents, and the usual precautions and preparations apply, especially for those with respiratory sensitivities – more information at https://vog.ivhhn.org/. 

As usual, we summarize the monitoring signals, imagery, and reports available courtesy of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory as well as our broader community, annotating the presentation on-screen as we go and discussing live viewer questions.