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yesterday

Hurricane Lowell Approaches Kauai as Hurricane Warning Is Issued

Forecasters say Lowell’s broad wind and rain fields plus recent intensity swings and steep island terrain raise the risk of overnight flash flooding, storm surge and power outages.

A child throws a rock toward the ocean at Makapu’u Beach Park in Honolulu, Hawaii, on September 6, 2026. Hawaii is preparing for the effects of Hurricane Lowell, which could brush by the state's westernmost islands from the evening of September 7, even as its exact path remains unclear. The storm was passing south of the island chain on September 4 but is set to swing north over the US Labor Day long weekend, possibly putting Kauai and Niihau islands near its center, according to the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center (NHC). (Photo by Michelle Bir / AFP)
A view of the Northern Pacific GOES satellite image taken at 1510 UTC, Sept. 7, 2025, showing Tropical Storm Marie as the sun rises, and Hurricane Lowell barreling toward Hawaii, still in nighttime. (Image credit: NOAA/RAMMB/Colorado State University)
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Overview

  • The National Hurricane Center issued a Hurricane Warning for Kauai County on Monday as Lowell remained a major Category 3 storm with roughly 115 mph sustained winds and peak impacts expected overnight.
  • Forecasters expect 6 to 10 inches of rain on Kauai with isolated totals up to about 14–16 inches, a possible storm surge of 1 to 3 feet in places, life‑threatening surf with waves up to about 14–20 feet, and a risk of tornadoes near Kauai and Niihau.
  • Official tracks place Lowell’s center passing to the west of Kauai and Niihau, roughly 75–150 miles offshore, but agencies warn that any eastward shift could bring stronger winds and heavier impacts to the islands.
  • State and local officials have declared a state of emergency, opened shelters, closed parks and canceled events while residents stocked supplies and stores reported shortages of plywood, propane and groceries.
  • The storm follows an active El Niño pattern and recent damage from Hurricane Lala, and emergency teams say the focus now is overnight hazards, watching for additional track shifts and post‑storm flooding and cleanup needs.