Hurricane Lowell Batters Hawaii's Western Islands, Causes Widespread Power Outages

Hurricane Lowell was pelting Hawaii’s western islands with damaging winds and heavy rains in the overnight hours Tuesday, September 8, bringing the threat of floods, mudslides, and tornadoes.

The islands of Kauai and Niihau were under a hurricane warning, while Oahu, the state’s most populated island, was under a tropical storm warning. Lowell was a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, having weakened from a major Category 3 storm. Over 60,000 customers were without power on Kauai and Oahu combined, with over 90% of Kauai in the dark.

Wind gusts reached over 80 mph on the eastern side of Kauai, and sustained winds measured just above 50 mph at Lihue Airport. The National Weather Service issued a rare Tornado Watch in parts of Hawaii through 4 a.m., the first such watch issued by NWS Honolulu since at least 2008. Rainfall totals could reach up to 24 inches in some areas on Kauai.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green closed schools and government offices on the three islands for Tuesday and declared a state of emergency last Thursday in preparation for the storm. The storm's center was passing west of the islands and moving away, but tropical storm-force winds extended nearly 200 miles. Last month, Tropical Storm Lala brushed past Hawaii, stirring up landslides, washing away about 100 homes, and causing widespread power outages.