A tropical storm warning has been issued for the islands of Kauai and Niihau as Hurricane Lowell, a major Category 3 system, approaches Hawaii. The National Hurricane Center announced the alert on Sunday, and forecasters expect Lowell to move north and sweep past the islands to the west late on Monday and Tuesday.
Lowell is projected to bring 6 to 10 inches of rain to Kauai and Niihau, with some locations receiving up to 14 inches. The Big Island could see 4 to 8 inches, with isolated areas reaching 12 inches. The storm’s maximum sustained winds are 125 mph, and it is currently about 575 miles south‑southwest of Lihue and 595 miles south‑southwest of Honolulu. It is moving north‑northwest at 5 mph.
The heavy rainfall poses a risk of flash flooding and mudslides, and a storm surge combined with tides could flood normally dry coastal areas on Kauai by up to 3 feet. The Kauai Emergency Management Agency urged residents to fill gas tanks, charge devices, refill prescriptions, and stock water and food, and to be prepared to stay home for several days. In Lihue, residents are stocking supplies as supermarket shelves empty, and local real‑estate agent Lori Benkert has boarded up two houses and stocked propane for cooking in case of power loss.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Marie, a Category 1 storm located 800 miles west of the Baja California peninsula, is threatening dangerous surf conditions along the Southern California coast. The storm, moving northwest at 9 mph, will generate swells that could create life‑threatening surf and rip currents in parts of southwest Mexico, the Baja California peninsula, and Southern California for the next few days, although no coastal watches or warnings are in effect.
