Hurricane Lowell Lashes Hawaii, Knocks Out Power to Thousands

Torrential rains and winds from Hurricane Lowell pelted Hawaii’s western island of Kauai, knocking out power to at least 30,000 residents and ripping up tracts of beachside roads.

Vicious winds knocked down trees, power poles, and lines, leaving nearly 92 percent of Kauai Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) residents without power by early Tuesday. The now-weakened Category 1 hurricane did not make landfall on Kauai but caused massive destruction from about 128 kilometers (80 miles) west of the island. Wind gusts reached approximately 85 mph (137 km/h), flooding coastal roads and forcing roughly 300 residents to evacuate.

Hawaiian mayor Derek Kawakami reported extensive damage on Tuesday. The Kauai County government urged locals to shelter in place to allow crews to assess damage, clear debris, and restore power and services. Eric Blake of the National Hurricane Center said flooding and mudslides will continue to be a risk through the day. The center of the storm passed west of the islands in the overnight hours on Tuesday and receded throughout the day.

Dangerous surf from the remnants of the hurricane will impact the Southern California coast for several days. Hurricane Lowell’s eyewall brushed Niihau, west of Kauai, on September 8, 2026, and tropical storm conditions reached as far as Honolulu on Oahu. Lowell was the 14th named Pacific storm of 2026 and the fifth hurricane, with the Pacific hurricane season ending November 30.

In August, Hurricane Lala brought hurricane-force winds to Hawaii’s Big Island for the first time since 1871. Rochelle Ballard, a former professional surfer, reported that waves tore apart a road along Kauai's southern coast and pushed sand and lava rocks into a beachside park, expecting weeks of cleanup. Dillon Ancheta, a Kauai local, described a wild night, noting power poles snapped in half and some oceanfront homes along the south-facing shores were completely destroyed.

The U.S. National Weather Service lifted all warnings related to the storm, but swells from Lowell will continue to generate life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.