Kauai County is under a Hurricane Warning as the Hurricane Hawaii forecast for Major Hurricane Lowell keeps the storm on a path just west of Kauai and Niihau. At 11 p.m. Sunday, Lowell was still a category 3 hurricane and moving north-northeast at 10 miles per hour.
The storm was about 445 miles southwest of Lihue and 480 miles southwest of Honolulu, with maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from Lowell's center, while tropical storm force winds reach 175 miles.
Kauai and Niihau alerts
A Hurricane Warning and a Tropical Storm Warning are in effect for Kauai and Niihau, and a Hurricane Watch also covers Kauai County, including Niihau and Kauai. A Hurricane Warning has also been issued for portions of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument and Hawaiian offshore waters 40 to 250 nautical miles from coastlines.
The forecast track has been nudged a little bit eastward, and that shift increased the probability of tropical storm force winds and hurricane force gusts for Niihau and Kauai. Lowell is expected to weaken gradually while passing the Hawaiian Islands, but it is still forecast to be a hurricane at its closest point of approach on Monday night.
Flood Watch and High Surf
A Flood Watch is in effect for all Hawaiian Islands through Tuesday afternoon, with heavy rain possible along the eastern flank of Lowell. High Surf Warnings are posted for the south-facing shores of all islands through 6 a.m. Tuesday, and a High Surf Warning is also in place for the west shores of Hawaii Island.
Surf of 6 to 8 feet is forecast through Monday morning on the west shores of Hawaii Island, then is expected to build rapidly Monday afternoon and evening to 12 to 16 feet. A High Surf Advisory covers the east-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, Maui and Hawaii Island, where waves of 7 to 10 feet are forecast through Monday.
Late Monday into early Tuesday
Lowell is forecast to pass just west of Kauai County late Monday into early Tuesday, then turn toward the north-northwest and slow down by Tuesday night. The bigger issue for Kauai County is that the track shift has brought the storm closer to the islands while the core still carries hurricane-force winds near the center.
Residents and officials in Kauai and Niihau are under the most direct warning package now: hurricane, tropical storm, flood and surf alerts all overlap before Lowell reaches its nearest point to the Hawaiian Islands.
