{
  "id": "2018-08-23-university-of-hawaii-manoa-hurricane-lane",
  "slug": "university-of-hawaii-manoa-hurricane-lane-2018-08-23",
  "institution": {
    "name": "University of Hawaii at Manoa",
    "shortName": "UH Manoa",
    "state": "HI",
    "type": "public-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "UH Alert",
    "enrollment": 19000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2018-08-23",
    "type": "hurricane",
    "cleryCategory": "emergency-notification",
    "resolution": "confirmed-threat",
    "headline": "Category 4 Hurricane Lane prompts a system-wide closure of all campuses",
    "headlinePublic": "Category 4 Hurricane Lane prompts a system-wide closure of all campuses",
    "summary": "[Hurricane Lane](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Lane_(2018)), a Category 4 storm, prompted the [closure of all University of Hawaii campuses](https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2018/08/22/oahu-kauai-closure-hurricane-lane/) 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.",
    "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."
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "August 22, 2018, the day before the closure took effect",
      "channel": "website",
      "verbatimText": "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.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2018/08/22/oahu-kauai-closure-hurricane-lane/",
      "sourceDescription": "University of Hawaiʻi System News official Hurricane Lane closure announcement (August 22, 2018); wording is exact from the announcement, though whether an identically worded UH Alert email was sent is not documented in these sources",
      "annotations": [
        "Verbatim text from the August 22, 2018 UH System News announcement posted on hawaii.edu, the university's public closure-announcement channel",
        "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"
      ],
      "characterCount": 164
    },
    {
      "sequence": 2,
      "type": "update",
      "timestamp": "2018-08-24T10:55:00-10:00",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "annotations": []
    },
    {
      "sequence": 3,
      "type": "all-clear",
      "timestampApprox": "Sunday, August 26, 2018",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": false,
      "annotations": []
    }
  ],
  "context": "[Hurricane Lane](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Lane_(2018)) was a powerful Category 4 hurricane that threatened the Hawaiian Islands in late August 2018. The [University of Hawaii system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Hawaii_system) enacted a staggered closure, [beginning with Hawaii Island and Maui County campuses](https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2018/08/21/hawaii-island-and-maui-county-uh-campuses-closed-due-to-hurricane/) on August 21 and extending to all [Oahu and Kauai campuses on August 23](https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2018/08/22/oahu-kauai-closure-hurricane-lane/). 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.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "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"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Hawaii Island and Maui County UH campuses closed due to hurricane (UH System News)",
      "url": "https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2018/08/21/hawaii-island-and-maui-county-uh-campuses-closed-due-to-hurricane/",
      "type": "official-statement"
    },
    {
      "title": "Oahu, Kauai UH campuses to close Thursday, August 23 due to hurricane (UH System News)",
      "url": "https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2018/08/22/oahu-kauai-closure-hurricane-lane/",
      "type": "official-statement"
    },
    {
      "title": "August 24, 10:55 Hurricane Lane update (UH System News)",
      "url": "https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2018/08/24/august-24-1055-hurricane-lane-update/",
      "type": "official-statement"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "medium",
  "tags": [
    "hurricane",
    "campus-closure",
    "weather-emergency",
    "hawaii",
    "system-wide-closure",
    "hurricane-lane",
    "category-4"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-04-04",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-07-16",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}