HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK — The Hōlei Sea Arch in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park collapsed into the Pacific Ocean. The structure was standing on September 23 but had collapsed by September 27.

The exact time of the collapse is unknown. The event may have occurred while the park was temporarily closed due to Tropical Storm Nolo, which brought heavy rainfall and strong winds to the Big Island between those dates. The arch stood approximately 90 feet (27 meters) tall before its fall.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park officials warned visitors to stay away from the unstable cliff edges near the former site of the Hōlei Sea Arch due to falling hazards. "Photos on social media show people entering the closed area near where the sea arch once stood, putting themselves and first responders at great risk of falling and drowning," the National Park Service said.

The Hōlei Sea Arch was located at the end of Chain of Craters Road in the park. It formed approximately 550 years ago through differential erosion of ancient lava flows by ocean waves. The National Park Service has documented that the arch had been subject to repeated structural weakening over the years.

"This formation is beautiful, but temporary, and has a limited life span," the National Park Service said in a formal warning issued in 2021. The agency noted that the structure would eventually collapse due to natural erosion and instability.

Tropical Storm Nolo affected Hawaii in September 2026 as the fourth tropical system to impact the state within six weeks. It followed Hurricane Lala, Tropical Storm Moke, and Hurricane Lowell. The storm reached maximum sustained wind speeds of 155 mph, making it a Category 4 hurricane at its peak intensity, though it did not make landfall in Hawaii.

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency reported that Tropical Storm Nolo caused 21.99 inches of rainfall in Laupahoehoe, Hawaii, during its passage over the Big Island. Hurricane Nolo strengthened into a hurricane on September 24, 2026. Experts linked the above-average Pacific storm activity in 2026 to El Niño conditions.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green stated that the Trump administration approved an emergency declaration for Hawaii to provide federal resources for recovery from Tropical Storm Nolo. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory recorded 98 earthquakes beneath Kīlauea's summit in a 24-hour period during the week of the Hōlei Sea Arch's collapse, indicating heightened volcanic activity.

The largest earthquake beneath the summit of Kīlauea measured magnitude 3.4 at 9:52 p.m. HST on Wednesday. Summit inflation at Kīlauea leveled off and earthquake activity decreased after 3 a.m. on Thursday. Webcam imagery showed no new ground cracking or eruption of lava in a new location at Kīlauea.

The Keanakākoʻi area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was temporarily closed to the public due to earthquake activity and increased volcanic unrest. The closure includes Old Crater Rim Drive, overlooks near Keanakākoʻi Crater, and the Crater Rim Trail to Keanakākoʻi. The Devastation Trail parking lot in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park remains open.

Why It Matters

The collapse of the Hōlei Sea Arch reflects decades of geological pressure and recent extreme weather events. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, established in 1916, is one of the most geologically active parks in the United States, with Kīlauea being one of the world's most active volcanoes. The park is home to Kīlauea, which has been erupting continuously since 1983. The loss of the arch reflects the dynamic nature of the landscape, which officials had long warned was temporary.

The event occurred during a period of intense meteorological and seismic activity. Tropical Storm Nolo was part of a cluster of four tropical systems that impacted Hawaii within six weeks, causing significant infrastructure damage and requiring federal disaster assistance. Simultaneously, heightened seismic activity beneath Kīlauea signaled potential changes in the volcano's behavior, with nearly 100 earthquakes recorded in a single day. These concurrent natural forces reflect the complex environmental pressures facing the Hawaiian Islands.

Timeline

Earthquakes during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption and summit collapse damaged the cliffs near the Hōlei Sea Arch. In January 2020, new cracks and instability prompted Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to close the original viewing area for the Hōlei Sea Arch. Surf from Tropical Storm Darby broke off a chunk of rock from the lower part of the Hōlei Sea Arch in 2020. A safer viewing area for the Hōlei Sea Arch opened in March 2020.

Tropical Storm Lala struck Hawaii in August. The storm triggered landslides and caused widespread power outages in Hawaii. Tropical Storm Lala washed away about 100 homes in Hawaii. The Hōlei Sea Arch was standing on September 23 but had collapsed by September 27.

What's New

The north vent of Kīlauea had several overflows, including a small dome fountain and an overflow lasting more than an hour on Wednesday afternoon. Nearly 100 earthquakes were recorded beneath the summit of Kīlauea volcano in a 24-hour period.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports that the 55th episode of Kīlauea’s ongoing eruption is expected to begin soon after a shallow intrusion of magma occurred overnight within the summit region.