Hurricane Lowell Closes In on Hawaii as Kauai Gusts Top 90 mph

Hurricane Lowell is forecast to pass just west of Hawaii on Labor Day night, and it is already bringing damaging gusts, heavy rain and high surf to Kauai and the western islands, according to the outlets that followed the National Hurricane Center’s advisories. The storm is not expected to make landfall, but its track has been close enough to cause serious effects.

Lowell has had a dramatic history. It became a hurricane on Sept. 1 and rapidly intensified to Category 5 with 160 mph winds, weather.com reported, making it the season’s second Category 5 in the region. It approached the islands as a major Category 3 hurricane, CBS News reported, with hurricane-force winds extending up to 70 miles from its center in a later advisory. Weather.com said models had agreed Lowell would stay offshore, but a nearby area of low pressure pushed the storm north and its track shifted slightly east, increasing the impact on Hawaii.

On Kauai, wind gusts topped 80 mph at six sites on Monday, weather.com said, including 92 mph at Puu Lua, 85 mph at Waimea and 84 mph at Lihue. Gusts of 70 to 75 mph were recorded over higher terrain in far western Oahu, while the Honolulu airport recorded a 51 mph gust. High surf and coastal flooding closed roads, including a stretch of Farrington Highway in western Oahu.

A hurricane warning was in effect for Kauai County and a tropical storm warning for Oahu, CBS News reported. The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency described conditions as very hazardous late Monday night in Kauai County and on Oahu. The hurricane center warned of life-threatening surf and rip currents, with waves of 20 to 30 feet possible.

Rain is the larger concern. CBS News said Lowell could drop up to 2 feet of rain on parts of the island chain, and the hurricane center warned that the rain may produce significant flash flooding and mudslides, especially on Kauai and parts of the Big Island.

Forecasters also issued a rare tornado watch for Niihau, Kauai and nearby waters, covering tornadoes and waterspouts, CBS News reported. Weather.com described it as the first known tornado watch for Kauai. Gov. Josh Green closed schools and government offices on three islands for Tuesday, ahead of the storm, NBC News reported.

For many longtime residents the storm brought back memories of Hurricane Iniki, which devastated Kauai in 1992. Sundey Allan, a Kauai resident, told CBS News that her family had moved outdoor items inside before the storm, saying, “Anything that could fly, we’re going to try to protect.”