Updated
Updated · Hawaii News Now · Sep 4
Hurricane Lowell Triggers Tropical Storm Watch for Kauai County as 125-Mph Storm Turns North
Updated
Updated · Hawaii News Now · Sep 4

Hurricane Lowell Triggers Tropical Storm Watch for Kauai County as 125-Mph Storm Turns North

3 articles · Updated · Hawaii News Now · Sep 4

Summary

  • Kauai County went under a Tropical Storm Watch after Hurricane Lowell turned north, with tropical-storm conditions possible within 48 hours and the center forecast to pass 100 to 200 miles west of Niihau Monday night.
  • Lowell weakened slightly to 125 mph — still a Category 3 hurricane — about 610 miles south-southwest of Lihue, and forecasters expect faster weakening Monday night into Tuesday as wind shear rises and drier air moves in.
  • 4 to 8 inches of rain are forecast for Kauai, with totals above 12 inches possible, while gusts of 60 mph or more, flash flooding, mudslides and life-threatening surf threaten parts of the state.
  • A Flood Watch covers all Hawaiian islands from Sunday evening through Tuesday afternoon, and Kauai County could see 1 to 3 feet of storm surge as Lowell tracks just west of the main islands.

Insights

With Hurricane Lowell fluctuating to a Category 4, could unexpected intensity shifts overwhelm Kauai's last-resort emergency shelters?
As Hurricane Lowell approaches, will sudden flooding at critical choke points like Hanalei Bridge trap residents before they can evacuate?
Could the fragile marine ecosystems in the Papahanaumokuakea Monument face irreversible devastation from the looming major hurricane?