Hurricane Lowell lashes Hawaii with 30‑foot surf, 100‑mph winds and looming floods

When the NOAA satellite first caught a glimpse of Lowell churning toward the islands, meteorologists already knew they were in for a rough ride. By the time the storm made landfall on Monday, the system had settled into a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds nudging the 110‑mph mark.

That number isn’t just a statistic – it translated into real‑world chaos on the shorelines of Kauai and its tiny neighbor Niʻihau. Surfers and beach‑goers were shocked by waves that rose to nearly 30 feet, while offshore gusts rattled the trees at more than 100 mph. Governor Josh Green, appearing on a livestream at 5 p.m. local time, described the scene as “a massive, pounding surf that’s damaging a lot of the shoreline.”

Kauai County, which also encompasses Lehua and Kaʻula, found itself under a full hurricane warning, the National Hurricane Center announced. O‘ahu, meanwhile, was placed under a tropical‑storm warning – a step down, but still serious enough to keep the airport on standby and schools closed.

Mayor Derek Kawakami of Kauai sounded the alarm early, urging residents to clear the roads by midday. “We’re asking everyone to start sheltering in place,” he said, crediting the county’s emergency‑management team for getting people ready. He even suggested that those living in flood‑prone zones should reach out to friends or family on higher ground, with shelters offered only as a last resort.

On the ground, the mood was a mix of nervous anticipation and quiet confidence. “What I’ve seen these past few days is nothing short of phenomenal,” Kawakami told reporters, noting the outpouring of generators, tarps and sandbags at the lone Home Depot on the island. Residents filled bathtubs with water, stocked up on non‑perishable food and made sure their phones and laptops were fully charged.

Chief Emergency‑Management Officer Elton Ushio warned that conditions could deteriorate quickly. “Multiple rivers are already reaching flood stage, and we could see prolonged closures of the Kuhio Highway,” he said, reminding people that flash floods and landslides are a real threat when rain accumulates on the steep, wet terrain.

The forecast called for a storm surge of two to four feet, with rain totals up to 16 inches in some spots. That amount of moisture, combined with the islands’ rugged topography, raises the specter of mudslides and even isolated tornadoes – a rare but possible side effect of the hurricane’s high winds.

While Lowell has lost its former Category 5 intensity, it remains a hurricane as it sweeps past the islands. The storm is expected to weaken over the next few days, but officials say the worst of the wind and rain will likely arrive overnight, keeping residents on edge through the night.

Meanwhile, the broader Pacific has been unusually active. In the past week, Hurricanes Karina and Marie have also rolled through the basin, a pattern scientists link to a record‑breaking El Niño that’s heating the ocean and stirring up more powerful storms than usual.

For Hawaiians still reeling from Tropical Storm Lala and the later Tropical Storm Moke, Lowell feels like a relentless encore. Power outages, road closures and a lingering sense of vulnerability have become all too familiar. Yet, as Governor Green summed up, the combined closure of schools, courts and state offices is a deliberate move to keep people off dangerous roads and let emergency crews focus on protecting communities.

In the end, whether the islanders will look back on Lowell as a disaster or simply another chapter in their ongoing dance with the Pacific will depend on how quickly the waters recede, the winds die down and the repair crews can get to work.