Hurricane Lowell brought severe winds and heavy rainfall to the western islands of Hawaii early Tuesday, resulting in power outages and heightened risks of flash floods and mudslides.
On the island of Kauai, which has a population of approximately 73,000, strong winds toppled trees and led to extensive power disruptions. The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative indicated that nearly all customers were without electricity by early Tuesday. The community of Hanalei recorded the highest rainfall so far, measuring 17.76 inches.
As of 11 a.m. local time on Tuesday, utility tracking service PowerOutage.us reported that around 50,400 customers across Hawaii were experiencing power outages.
Officials urged residents to avoid travel as damage assessments were just commencing. Elton Ushio, the administrator of the local emergency management agency, emphasized, “As daylight reveals the extent of Hurricane Lowell’s damage, we aim to prevent any further emergency situations from occurring.”
The center of Hurricane Lowell moved west of the islands early Tuesday and was steadily departing; however, tropical storm-force winds extended significantly beyond the storm’s center, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Kauai experienced sustained winds just above 50 mph at Lihue Airport.
By Tuesday morning local time, hurricane warnings for Kauai and the small island of Niihau, which has fewer than 100 permanent residents, had been lifted. A tropical storm warning for Oahu, the most populous island with nearly one million residents, was also removed.
Despite the easing of warnings, the risk of flooding and mudslides remained throughout the day, as noted by Eric Blake of the National Hurricane Center.
Wind gusts reached up to 80 mph, although the intensity of sustained winds had begun to diminish early Tuesday, with the storm expected to weaken further in the upcoming days.
In its latest update late Tuesday morning, the hurricane center reported that Lowell had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and was moving northward at 15 mph, located about 230 miles northwest of Lihue, Hawaii. A tropical storm is classified as a Category 1 hurricane when sustained winds reach 74 mph.
Road maintenance crews were working to clear sand and debris from a major roadway along Oahu’s western coastline, where floodwaters had overtopped a coastal highway north of Honolulu.
In anticipation of the storm, Hawaii Governor Josh Green ordered the closure of schools and government offices on the three affected islands for Tuesday.
Rainfall accumulations on Kauai could reach up to 24 inches in certain areas, while substantial rainfall is also expected on Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island.
The hurricane center cautioned that Lowell “may cause flooding in urban and low-lying areas, with significant flash flooding and mudslides possible in parts of the Big Island.”
Last month, Hurricane Lala passed near Hawaii, resulting in landslides that destroyed approximately 100 homes and caused widespread power outages.
