Climate & Environment
Tens of Thousands Lose Power as Hurricane Lowell Batters Hawaii's Western Islands
By Today News Hours Editorial Desk
Hurricane Lowell struck Hawaii's western islands early Tuesday, bringing damaging winds and heavy rainfall that knocked out power, damaged infrastructure, and raised concerns about flash flooding and mudslides.
The island of Kauai, home to approximately 73,000 residents, bore the brunt of the storm as powerful winds toppled trees and triggered widespread outages. The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative reported that nearly all of its customers had lost electricity by early Tuesday morning. Statewide, roughly 42,000 customers were without power as of 1:30 p.m. local time, according to utility tracker PowerOutage.us.
The Kauai community of Hanalei recorded the highest rainfall total in the state, with 17.76 inches falling during the storm. Roads across Kauai were blocked by boulders and debris, leaving some residents isolated in their neighborhoods. CBS News footage showed a waterfront home on the island that had been torn from its foundation and pushed across the street by the storm.
Tourist Dave Reed, who was on Kauai for a wedding, described the experience as frightening. "It was actually pretty scary," he told CBS News. "I always said I want to ride out a hurricane. I never want to do it again." Reed said he regretted not evacuating when he had the chance.
Andrew Davis Henry, a Kauai resident who is diabetic, said he was searching for ice to keep his insulin cold after losing both power and cell service. "I need that to live, so if I don't have that, it's going to be a bad day for me," he said.
Elton Ushio, administrator of the local emergency management agency, urged residents to stay off roads as officials began assessing the damage. "As the light comes up and the extent of the damage from Hurricane Lowell comes into focus, we want to ensure that no additional emergency situations arise unnecessarily," he said.
According to the Miami-based National Hurricane Center, the storm's center passed west of the islands early Tuesday and continued moving away, though tropical storm-force winds extended well beyond its core. Sustained winds at Lihue Airport on Kauai measured just above 50 mph, with some gusts reaching 80 mph.
Hurricane warnings for Kauai and the small island of Niihau — which has fewer than 100 permanent residents — were lifted by Tuesday morning. A tropical storm warning for Oahu, Hawaii's most populous island with nearly 1 million residents, was also lifted. However, National Hurricane Center forecaster Eric Blake warned that flooding and mudslide risks would persist throughout the day.
By late Tuesday morning, the hurricane center reported that Lowell had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and was moving north at 15 mph, positioned about 230 miles northwest of Lihue. The storm was expected to continue weakening in the coming days. A hurricane is downgraded to tropical storm status when sustained winds fall below 74 mph.
On Oahu, road crews worked to clear sand and rocks from a major coastal highway north of Honolulu after floodwaters overtopped the roadway.
Ahead of the storm, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green ordered the closure of schools and government offices on three islands for Tuesday. Rainfall totals on Kauai could reach as high as 24 inches in some areas, with Oahu, Maui and the Big Island also expected to see significant precipitation. The hurricane center warned that Lowell could cause flooding in urban and low-lying areas, with the potential for significant flash flooding and mudslides on parts of the Big Island.
The storm follows Hurricane Lala, which brushed past Hawaii last month, triggering landslides that destroyed about 100 homes and caused widespread power outages.