Hurricanes brought a sharper warning early Monday morning Hawaii time as Hurricane Lowell shifted farther east, placing Kauaʻi County under a hurricane warning and Oahu under a tropical storm warning. The change came as the storm approached the western islands and residents were already dealing with rain and flooding risks.
At the latest advisory, Lowell was still a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, moving north-northeast at 17 mph and sitting 325 miles southwest of Lihue. The National Hurricane Center said the storm’s center could come within 100 miles of Ni'ihau, with closest approach expected late Monday into early Tuesday.
Kauaʻi County and Oahu
Josh Green declared a state of emergency last Thursday in preparation for the storm, and the warning area expanded as the track shifted farther east. A Hurricane Warning for Kauaʻi County was issued late Sunday, and the National Hurricane Center later added a Tropical Storm Warning for Oahu as Lowell edged closer to the western side of the island chain.
Residents of Kaua'i were told to have at least three days' worth of food and supplies, and officials asked people in low-lying areas to have an evacuation plan in place. Some people across Hawaii boarded up their homes as a precaution while the storm’s center moved toward Ni'ihau and Kaua'i.
Koloa rain and flash flooding
FOX Weather Correspondent Katie Byrne reported steady rain early Monday morning from Kōloa on Kaua'i, where a Flash Flood Warning was in effect for the northern side of Kaua'i. Heavy rain had already triggered flash flooding on Oahu, and damaging surf was pounding Hawaii's southern shores.
The storm weakened from Category 3 to Category 2 in the 5 p.m. advisory, but it still carried the ingredients for more heavy rain, flash flooding, gusty winds, and damaging surf across the entire island chain. A Hurricane Warning was also issued for parts of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, showing the warning area had widened beyond the main islands.
Lowell's eastward track
That eastward shift leaves Kauaʻi County facing the highest alert level named in the source while Oahu sits under a lesser warning. With Lowell still projected to pass close to Ni'ihau and Kaua'i, the practical question for residents is whether the storm keeps tracking east into the warned areas or shifts again before its closest approach.
