A centuries-old sea arch on Hawaii's Big Island, known as Hōlei, has collapsed into the Pacific Ocean. The National Park Service confirmed the collapse on Friday, 2 October 2026, after a period of severe storms in the region.
The Hōlei sea arch, which stood around 90ft high, was formed approximately 550 years ago by ocean wave erosion within Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park. While the exact timing is unknown, the arch was standing on 23 September but had collapsed by 27 September.
The collapse was anticipated, with the National Park Service noting that the cliffs surrounding the arch had shown signs of instability for years due to tropical systems and volcanic activity. Earthquakes during the 2018 Kīlauea volcanic eruption and summit collapse damaged the surrounding cliffs. In 2020, new cracks led to the closure of the original viewing area.
Hawaii has experienced an unusually high number of severe storms this year, consistent with El Niño patterns. Tropical Storm Nolo, which intensified into a hurricane on 24 September, caused the temporary closure of Volcanoes National Park and was the third major storm to affect the islands in recent months, following hurricanes Lala and Lowell.