Hurricane Lowell has weakened and is pulling away from the main Hawaiian Islands after its closest approach overnight left most of Kauai County without electricity, according to the National Hurricane Center’s Central Pacific branch.
As of the 5 a.m. HST advisory Tuesday, Lowell’s center was located about 145 miles northwest of Lihue and roughly 245 miles from Honolulu, moving north at 18 mph. Maximum sustained winds had dropped to 90 mph, and forecasters expect the storm to weaken further into a tropical storm later Tuesday as it curves northwest and then west, moving away from the island chain through midweek.
A hurricane warning remains in effect for Kauai County, covering the islands of Kauai and Niihau, along with the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument from Nihoa to French Frigate Shoals. A tropical storm warning continues for Oahu. Hurricane-force winds extend up to 70 miles from Lowell’s center, with tropical storm-force winds reaching out as far as 230 miles, keeping the outer islands in blustery conditions even as the core moves off.
Kauai took the brunt of the storm overnight, when Lowell’s center passed less than 50 miles off Niihau as a Category 2 hurricane, the closest a storm of that strength has come to the main islands since Hurricane Iniki in 1992. Wind gusts topped 80 mph at Lihue and Nawiliwili, and utility tracking showed roughly 90 percent of Kauai County customers without power Tuesday morning. Kauai’s public schools and county and state offices on the island were closed for the day.
The bigger ongoing threat is rain. The Hurricane Center is warning of an additional 2 to 4 inches on Kauai, with storm-total rainfall in the higher terrain approaching 24 inches, and 3 to 6 inches more on the Big Island. Officials are warning that this rain could trigger significant flash flooding and mudslides, particularly on Kauai, where a rain gauge at Kilohana recorded nearly 14 inches in 24 hours. Life-threatening surf and rip currents are expected around the islands for the next several days, and forecasters say a few tornadoes remain possible near Kauai and Niihau through the overnight hours.
Hawaii’s governor declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm’s arrival, activating the National Guard and opening shelters on Kauai and Oahu. Emergency officials are asking residents on the outer islands to stay off flooded roadways and away from storm drains, ocean lookout points and swollen streams until conditions improve.
Sources: National Hurricane Center, Central Pacific Hurricane Center advisory · CNN · Hawaii Emergency Management Agency
