Hawaii's 550-year-old Hōlei Sea Arch collapses into the Pacific Ocean during Tropical Storm Nolo closure

From the Newshound archive · first published 2 October 2026 · last updated 4 October 2026.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park's Hōlei Sea Arch, a 90-foot basalt formation that had stood for around 550 years, fell into the Pacific Ocean between September 23 and 27, the National Park Service confirmed. The collapse most likely occurred while the park remained closed for three days during Tropical Storm Nolo. The arch had formed over centuries as wave action eroded an ancient lava flow, and visitors were still photographing it just before it disappeared. Despite official warnings to keep away from unstable cliff edges, posts on social media revealed that people had entered the restricted area, placing both themselves and any potential rescuers at serious risk.

Seismic activity had been steadily weakening the structure for years, with the 2018 Kīlauea eruption among the events that took a toll; new cracking led authorities to close the original viewing area in January 2020.

'We were just there on September 23rd around 10am and are probably some of the last few to see it still standing,' one visitor wrote on Facebook.

Officials warn coastal cliffs at the site can collapse without warning and drop vertically straight into the ocean.