KAUAI, Hawaii — A Category 2 hurricane is bearing down on the Hawaiian Islands, prompting urgent warnings and widespread closures as residents scramble to prepare for a direct encounter with Hurricane Lowell.
The National Hurricane Center reports that Lowell, which packs maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, is tracking to pass just west of Kauai and the neighboring island of Niʻihau late Monday into early Tuesday morning. While a tropical storm warning remains in effect for Oahu, the most severe threats—including dangerous winds, storm surges of up to four feet, and as much as 16 inches of rain—are centered on the Kauai County region.
“Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion,” the National Weather Service stated in a bulletin Monday.
Kauai County Mayor Derek Kawakami has issued a stern directive for residents to shelter in place. Urging citizens to be off the roads by midday Monday, Kawakami praised the community’s proactive response but warned that the storm’s path had shifted closer to the islands than initially anticipated.
“Hurricane Lowell is going to come a little closer than anticipated, and what that really means to everybody is that we are asking everyone to start sheltering in place,” Kawakami said.
The potential for disaster is compounded by the saturation of the landscape from recent storms. Hawaii is still reeling from the impacts of Tropical Storms Lala and Moke, which battered the region over the last month. Officials are particularly concerned about the risk of flash flooding and mudslides, especially given the mountainous terrain of the islands. Furthermore, the National Weather Service has warned that the storm’s intense wind field could spawn tornadoes.
Kauai Emergency Management Administrator Elton Ushio confirmed that conditions were already deteriorating rapidly on Monday, noting that several rivers had reached flood stage. He warned that the iconic Kuhio Highway could face a prolonged closure, effectively isolating portions of the island.
In response to the imminent threat, Gov. Josh Green has ordered all state and county offices and public schools in Kauai closed through Tuesday. Major air carriers, including Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines, and Delta, have canceled approximately 40 flights to and from Lihue, Kauai’s only airport, and are offering travel waivers for affected passengers.
For many locals, the sight of boarded-up homes and emptied store shelves is a grim reminder of Hawaii’s vulnerability to Pacific cyclones. Nouveau Naumu, a Kauai resident who lived through the catastrophic Hurricane Iniki in 1992, noted that residents are not taking any chances.
“I just remember the high winds, us kind of huddling in the bathroom,” Naumu told NBC affiliate KHNL. “Waking up the next morning, you could see the devastation.”
Meteorologists note that this heightened level of cyclonic activity is consistent with the current, exceptionally intense El Niño, which has warmed Pacific sea surface temperatures. As Lowell moves through the region, officials are pleading with residents to remain indoors and avoid coastal areas until the storm has cleared.
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