Hurricane Lowell Strikes Kauaʻi, Causing Widespread Damage and Power Outages

Hurricane Lowell passed near Kauaʻi and Niʻihau, Hawaii, in early September 2026, approaching as a Category 2 storm before weakening. CNN reported it came within 50 miles of Niʻihau and was the strongest hurricane to affect the main Hawaiian Islands since Hurricane Iniki in 1992, a comparison also referenced by Governor Josh Green according to Honolulu Civil Beat. It was the third storm to threaten Hawaii within roughly three weeks, per CNN. The National Hurricane Center and Hawaii Emergency Management Agency issued hurricane and tropical storm watches and warnings for Kauai County ahead of landfall, with forecasts of up to 14 inches of rain and life-threatening surf, according to NBC News. Līhuʻe Airport was shut down in preparation, per Wikipedia. The storm knocked out power to the vast majority of Kauaʻi's roughly 73,000 residents, with the Kauai island utility cooperative reporting nearly all members without power, according to The Guardian. Fierce winds downed trees, damaged beachside roads, and caused storm surge and wind damage to homes, particularly in Kauai County. By the morning after landfall, the storm had weakened to Category 1 status about 190 miles north-northwest of Līhuʻe, and the Hurricane Warning for Kauaʻi County and Tropical Storm Warning for Oʻahu were cancelled, per the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. In the days following, Honolulu Civil Beat reported numerous structures destroyed on Hoʻona Road in Poʻipū, travelers stranded for hours at the airport due to power-related security screening failures, and a Lānaʻi harbor supplying much of the island's food and fuel blocked by fallen shipping containers, with state transportation officials working on repairs. The Governor's office confirmed state agencies remained engaged in response efforts, particularly on Kauaʻi, and that several public library and court facilities in Maui and Kauai were closed due to lingering flooding threats and gusty conditions. CNN's report of at least one death and injuries from the storm was not corroborated by other sources reviewed, and remains unconfirmed by additional independent reporting.