Technology and Science05 September, 20263 min read
Hurricane Lowell Braces Hawaii With 145 Mph Winds, Warnings for Kauai and Niihau
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Lowell is a powerful hurricane near Hawaii, with winds near 125–145 mph. Kauai and Niihau are under hurricane warnings as the storm approaches.
Lowell nears Hawaii
Hurricane Lowell, a Category 3 storm with 120 mph winds, moved north-northeast as tropical storm warnings and hurricane watches were issued for Kauai and Niihau and Hawaii braced for dangerous surf, heavy rain, and possible mudslides.
The National Hurricane Center forecast Lowell’s center would pass about 100 miles west of Niihau, or 150 miles west of Kauai, from later Monday night through Tuesday morning, keeping the worst of the hurricane’s winds offshore.
ABC News said Lowell remained a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph as of Saturday afternoon, and that a High Surf Advisory was in effect for waves up to 12 feet along south- and southeast-facing shores of the Hawaiian Islands.
CNN reported Hawaii Gov. Josh Green declared a state of emergency for the entire state and said six high-water vehicles were being deployed to Kauai.
NBC News warned that Lowell could remain a major hurricane with 111 mph or greater sustained winds and that it was likely to create mudslides as much as 10 inches of rain in Kauai.
Warnings, quotes, and numbers
The National Hurricane Center warned that hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 60 miles from Lowell’s center and that the storm could produce additional rainfall totals of 6 to 10 inches for Kauai with maximum totals of 14 inches possible.
CBS News said the center stressed that the rain could bring "significant" flash flooding and mudslides, especially in Kauai County and parts of Hawaii's Big Island, and it also warned that several tornadoes could be spawned near Kauai and Niihau Monday afternoon through Monday night.
Hawaii News Now reported that at 11 p.m. Sunday Lowell had maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour and was centered 455 miles southwest of Lihue and 480 miles southwest of Honolulu, moving north-northeast at 10 miles per hour.
In a statement carried by CNN, Kauai Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami said, "Closing our parks and opening refuge areas is not a decision we make lightly, but it is the right call with a storm of this strength still turning toward us," as Kauai County planned to close all parks and campgrounds.
NBC News quoted National Weather Service warning coordination meteorologist John Bravender saying, "Just because we’re on the edge of the cone doesn’t mean we’re safe," as the storm’s forecast cone approached the islands.
What’s at risk next
Beyond wind and rain, the National Hurricane Center forecast life-threatening surf and rip current conditions across many Hawaiian islands, with Hawaii News Now listing surf of 7 to 10 feet through Monday morning rapidly building to 20 to 30 feet Monday afternoon and evening for Kauai and Niihau. USA Today said the eastward shift in Lowell’s projected track prompted a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch for Kauai and Niihau, with tornadoes possible near Kauai and Niihau on Labor Day and overnight. The Weather Channel warned that waves could reach up to 30 feet through Labor Day and said flood watches were in effect for the entire state as heavy rainfall could cause significant flash flooding and mudslides, especially for areas with steep terrain.
ABC News tied the storm’s intensity to El Nino’s effects, saying Tropical activity in the central and eastern Pacific remains very active due to El Nino's effects, and it described heavy rain and possible flash flooding and mudslides beginning late Sunday. CNN added that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecast an above-average central Pacific season, with five to 13 cyclones expected, as Hawaii prepared for Lowell’s impacts across Kauai, Niihau, and the rest of the island chain.