Hurricane Lowell Approaches Hawaii: Prepare for Severe Weather

Hurricane Lowell accelerated toward Kauai on Monday evening, weakening slightly to a Category 2 storm while still expected to make its closest approach Monday night into Tuesday bringing hurricane conditions, flooding rainfall and destructive surf to Hawaii’s westernmost islands. At 5 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time Monday, or 8 p.m. Pacific time, Lowell was about 170 miles southwest of Lihue, Kauai’s largest city, with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph.

The storm was moving north-northeast at 18 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The National Weather Service issued Hawaii’s first-ever tornado watch Monday afternoon until 4 a.m. Tuesday as Hurricane Lowell approached the islands of Kauai and Niihau. A tornado watch means that conditions are favorable to result in tornadoes, as opposed to a tornado warning, which means a tornado has been identified. Hawaii has experienced tornado warnings before, but never a tornado watch.

“Over the past 24 hours we have watched this system veer closer to us, too close for comfort,” said Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami in a statement. “I hope you have spent these last few days preparing for the worst. If you are still making last-minute preparations, finish them this morning. Be off our roadways and indoors by midday.” National Weather Service forecasters said the hurricane could lead to heavy rain, flooding and mudslides Monday afternoon through evening. Waves, at 7 to 10 feet Monday morning, were expected to build to 20 to 30 feet by this afternoon and pose a threat to coastal properties, piers and docks.

Another 4 to 8 inches of rain, with isolated totals of 12 inches, could fall on Kauai through Wednesday morning. Kawakami advised residents living in coastal areas to make arrangements to stay with family or friends in other locations. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green ordered all Kauai schools, as well as state and county offices on the island, to close Tuesday. The core of the storm was expected to pass near or just west of Kauai and Niihau Monday night and into early Tuesday.

The National Hurricane Center said Lowell’s turn toward the north had occurred later than expected, helping shift the projected track closer to Kauai and Niihau. Niihau, Hawaii’s westernmost inhabited island, is a 72-square-mile private island home to a small settlement of around 100 people who speak Hawaiian as their primary language and live without telephone service or indoor plumbing. The National Weather Service placed the south-facing shores of Kauai and Niihau under a high-surf warning until 6 p.m. Tuesday Hawaii Standard Time, or 9 p.m. Pacific time.

Coastal evacuations and road closures are possible. On Sunday night, long lines of passengers formed at the Lihue Airport on Kauai’s southeast coast, as travelers sought to leave the island ahead of the hurricane. Scattered power outages were reported across Kauai Monday morning, mostly in the eastern town of Wailua, according to the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, which operates the island’s electric grid. The outages were impacting 144 customers as of 11:15 a.m. PT. Residents were advised to stay out of the ocean and away from shorelines.

The National Hurricane Center expected offshore wave heights to peak between 30 and 50 feet as the storm passes by Hawaii. On Saturday, organizers of the Kauai Marathon canceled the race in light of the hurricane conditions. Kauai is home to some 73,000 residents. The island has not seen a major hurricane since September 1992, when Hurricane Iniki, a Category 4 storm, brought 145-mph winds and 20-foot waves, wrecking homes and causing some $1.8 billion in damage. Oahu was also placed under a tropical storm warning on Monday. Rainfall of 4 to 8 inches could lead to flash flooding and mudslides there, too.

Source: Hurricane warning issued as Lowell approaches western Hawaii

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Hurricane and Tornado warning issued as Lowell approaches western Hawaii

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