Lighthouse Storm Damage Repairs Underway

Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse Storm Damage Repairs Underway

Sep 7, 2025

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An overhead of people inside of a lighthouse taking down the lens.

Kīlauea, Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi �� The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has announced the start of a project for storm damage repairs to the Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse (located on the refuge). Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), located at the northern-most point of the major Hawaiian islands and one of three refuges within the Kauaʻi NWR Complex, provides one of the most important seabird habitat sites in the State of Hawai‘i and is home to the iconic lighthouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979. The refuge also hosts nearly 500,000 visitors annually.

In 2020 and 2021 during severe storms, rain and moisture entered the lantern room where the 2nd order Fresnel lens is housed, resulting in high humidity levels and accelerated deterioration of the lighthouse interior. Repairs will include removal and cleaning of the Fresnel lens, weatherproofing of the lantern room glass, restoration of the vent ball, and replacement of the service room wall vents. The proposed work has been reviewed and approved according to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. These repairs will prevent further degradation and provide the ability to allow safe access into the lighthouse in the future.

Status updates will be posted on our website, social media, and our reservation page at Recreation.gov. We apologize for the inconvenience and look forward to welcoming you to an improved visitor experience upon project completion!

The Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge was established to preserve and enhance migratory bird nesting colonies, federally listed species, and native coastal strand, riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.

Learn more about riparian , and aquatic biological diversity, as well as to support incidental fish and wildlife-oriented recreation. The refuge is home to some of the largest populations of nesting seabirds in the main Hawaiian Islands and the historic Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse. In 1988, the refuge was expanded to include Nihokū and Mōkōlea Point. Learn more about the refuge at www.fws.gov/kilaueapoint, follow us on Facebook, or call Eldridge Naboa at (808) 635-1004.