Hurricane Lowell passes west of Hawaii, cutting power to 90% of Kauai

Storm track and island warnings

Hurricane Lowell tracked west of the Hawaiian archipelago early Tuesday morning, sweeping past the islands of Kauai and Niihau as a Category 2 storm. The National Hurricane Center reported that the cyclone maintained sustained winds up to 110 mph (175 km/h) near its core, with tropical storm-force winds extending outward up to 200 miles (320 km). A hurricane warning was placed over Kauai County, which includes over 73,000 residents on Kauai and fewer than 100 on Niihau, while Oahu remained under a tropical storm warning. Hawaii Governor Josh Green ordered the closure of public schools and state government offices across all three islands for Tuesday. Late Monday night, weather forecasters issued the state's first-ever tornado watch, which expired at 4:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday.

Power outages and wind damage

The storm's outer bands generated severe wind gusts across Kauai that caused widespread infrastructure failures. The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative reported that more than 33,000 customers, representing roughly 90 percent of the island, lost electrical power by Tuesday morning. Wind gusts reached 87 mph in Nawiliwili, 77 mph at Makaha Ridge, 75 mph at Lihue Airport, and 74 mph at Moloaa Dairy. Sustained winds at Lihue Airport reached 53 mph. On the north shore of Kauai, local authorities closed the bridge leading into Hanalei on Monday night after rising waters inundated access roads.

Kauai resident Joel Guy described the arrival of the gale on Monday evening.

It's been whipping winds since the sun went down.

Extreme precipitation across Kauai

Rainfall across the island varied significantly by elevation, as tall volcanic peaks captured mid-level atmospheric moisture. A rain gauge near the summit of the 5,148-foot Mount Waialeale recorded over 17 inches of precipitation by early Tuesday morning. At lower elevations closer to sea level, Kekupua measured 4.20 inches, while Kalaheo registered 3.40 inches. Weather forecasters projected local maximums of up to 24 inches (60 centimeters) on Kauai, with flash flood warnings extended to Lihue, Kapaa, Princeville, Hanalei, and Kilauea. In Koloa, radar indicated that a brief tornado may have lofted light debris on Monday morning.

In Koloa, construction business owner Kealiʻiheleua Makaloa Kaʻiminaʻauao prepared chainsaws and an excavator to assist with flood rescues after monitoring the nearby Waikomo Stream.

Regional impact and storm outlook

The disturbance marks the second hurricane to approach the Hawaiian archipelago this season, following Tropical Storm Lala, which washed away about 100 homes and caused widespread power failures in August. Meteorologists attributed the elevated storm frequency in the Central Pacific to an El Niño pattern that produced higher ocean surface temperatures. Rainfall forecasts for other islands projected 75 to 200 liters per square meter on the Big Island, and 50 to 125 liters per square meter on Oahu and Maui. Forecasters with the Central Pacific Hurricane Center expect Lowell to weaken to a Category 1 storm within 24 hours, with top winds dropping near 75 mph (120 km/h). By Wednesday, the system is projected to downgrade to a tropical storm as it turns northwest away from the islands.