Hawaiʻi's 90-Foot Hōlei Sea Arch Collapses Into Pacific as Park Warns of Cliff Danger
Updated
Updated · National Park Service · Oct 2
Hawaiʻi's 90-Foot Hōlei Sea Arch Collapses Into Pacific as Park Warns of Cliff Danger
3 articles · Updated · National Park Service · Oct 2
Summary
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park said the 90-foot Hōlei Sea Arch collapsed into the Pacific sometime between Sept. 23 and Sept. 27, though the exact timing is unknown.
Years of coastal instability set up the collapse: earthquakes during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption damaged nearby cliffs, new cracks forced the original viewing area to close in January 2020, and Tropical Storm Darby later broke off part of the arch.
Tropical Storm Nolo may have coincided with the final failure while the park was temporarily closed, adding to uncertainty over when the arch gave way.
Park officials urged visitors to stay out of closed areas and away from cliff edges after social media showed people near the former arch site, risking falls, drowning and danger to rescuers.