Hurricane Lowell swipes Hawaii bringing flooding, knocking out power to Kaua'i
Kauai and Niihau face winds of 60-80 mph, flash flooding and mudslides as Hawaii recovers from Hurricane Lala.
Strong winds swept across Kauaʻi on Sept. 7 as Hurricane Lowell approached Hawaii, bringing power outages, heavy rain and dangerous surf.
Hurricane Lowell came within about 40 miles of landfall in Hawaii Monday, knocking out power to most of Kaua'i and bringing the second hurricane threat within weeks.
When Lowell brushed Hawaii with the greatest impacts it was a Category 2 hurricane. Last week, the storm briefly reached Category 5 strength with maximum sustained winds of 160 mph.
AccuWeather meteorologists said Lowell made a sharp turn north this weekend, setting it up to pass extremely close to Hawaii’s western islands. A hurricane warning remains in effect for the islands of Kaua'i and Ni'ihau and the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument from Nihoa to French Frigate Shoal. Oahu is under a tropical storm warning.
Hurricane Lowell near Hawaii (left) and Tropical Storm Marie (right) in the Pacific Ocean on Sept. 7, 2026. (Image: NOAA)
Lowell didn't need to make landfall to cause significant problems. Tropical storm-force winds extended about 195 miles from its center.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Greens said at least one person was killed on Oahu when a tree fell on the man's tent.
Rainfall totals across Kaua'i reached above a foot after 48 hours of Lowell's rain bands with 19.31 inches reported in Kilohana.
Two-day rain totals on Kaua'i from Hurricane Lowell.
Hawaii Department of Transportation has been responding to downed trees and flooding even ahead of Lowell's greatest impacts.
The Kauaʻi Police Department said flooding, fallen trees, landslides, downed power lines and debris had closed multiple roads across the island.
Some roads and highways in parts of Maui, Oahu and Kaua'i remained closed on Tuesday as crews work to clear debris. On Maui, part of North Kihei Road was closed due to debris and high surf.
Debris covers North Kihei Road on Maui after Hurricane Lowell brushed the western islands of Hawaii on Sept. 8, 2026. (Image credit: Hawaii DOT)
Flooding at the Waiahole Stream shut down Kamehameha Highway on Oahu temporarily. The stream crested to 16.10 feet Sunday afternoon.
Winds have topped 90 mph across parts of Kaua'i, including a gust over 90 mph in Puu Lua and 87 in Nawiliwili. Winds also surpassed 80 mph on Oahu, with an 81 mph gust at Makaha Valley.
Top wind gusts during Hurricane Lowell in Hawaii.
Lowell also generated dangerous surf with large breakers and sneaker waves along south-facing shores.
Wave heights on Barber's Point on Oahu, were over 25 feet early Tuesday. Other stations have had waves under 20 feet.
About 90% of Kaua'i without power
A large wave crashes along the shoreline at Electric Beach in Waianae, Hawaii, on Sept. 7, 2026. A hurricane warning was issued September 7 for the westernmost Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Niihau as Category 3 Hurricane Lowell approached the US Pacific island chain, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. (Photo by Michelle Bir / AFP via Getty Images)
Kaua'i Mayor Derek Kawakami said an island-wide assessment is ongoing after Lowell left extensive damage across the island.
Līhuʻe Airport reopened on Tuesday after some clean up, according to the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation.
Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative said it was beginning to experience outages throughout the island on Monday. Early Tuesday, power was out to nearly 90% of customers on the island, according to poweroutage.us. The utility provider said some should plan to be without power for days.
"Because of extensive damage to transmission and distribution lines, it is not possible to attempt to restore power until after the storm passes and we have the ability to safely inspect the system, assess damage, and develop a plan for restoration," KIUC wrote on Facebook.
Hawaii Island still recovering from Lala
Hawaii Department of Transportation workers inspect road damage caused by Hurricane Lala in Pahala, Hawaii, on August 16, 2026. Hurricane Lala was pulling away from Hawaii's Big Island early Sunday, as heavy rain and strong winds struck the US Pacific state and officials warned of potentially dangerous flooding. (Photo by Jill K. Briggs / AFP via Getty Images)
Parts of Hawaii Island are still dealing with water supply problems caused by Lala’s catastrophic rain and flooding.
The Hawaii County Department of Water Supply has restored service to most customers in the Nā‘ālehu-Wai‘ōhinu system, but approximately 60 accounts in Wai‘ōhinu Homestead and portions of the South Point Road area remained without water service Wednesday.
Lala also damaged Mountain House Spring, a critical water source. The county selected a contractor to repair the spring, access roads and waterlines, including pipes up to 12 inches in diameter.
“Because of the extent of the damage, including washed-out roads, drainageways, and waterlines, some repairs will require substantial construction and coordination,” the department said.
The lingering damage leaves some infrastructure more vulnerable as another round of heavy rain approaches.
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