Hurricane Lowell threatened Hawaii with life-threatening surf, heavy rain, and potential mudslides as it tracked north toward the western islands on Monday, September 7, 2026. Governor Josh Green declared a state of emergency while the National Hurricane Center maintained tropical storm warnings for Kauai and Niihau.
State officials and emergency management teams across Hawaii rushed final preparations as a powerful Pacific storm system closed in on the island chain. Governor Josh Green urged residents to complete safety measures ahead of the storm’s arrival, noting on social media that Hurricane Lowell has made its expected northward turn and remains forecast to pass west of Kauaʻi, but a slight shift east has increased the potential for tropical storm-force winds,
according to reporting by NBC News.
Emergency Declarations and Track Projections for Kauai and Niihau
The Central Pacific Hurricane Center tracked the major cyclone about 550 miles south-southwest of Līhuʻe moving north at 6 mph on Monday. While forecasters expected the storm’s center to remain offshore—passing roughly 130 miles west of Niʻihau or 170 miles west of Kauai—officials warned that residents could not afford complacency. John Bravender, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service, cautioned at a press conference that Just because we’re on the edge of the cone doesn’t mean we’re safe,
as detailed in coverage from NBC News. Kauai Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami echoed those concerns, advising residents to build emergency kits and check on neighbors before conditions deteriorated.
The system peaked earlier in the week as a Category 5 storm before settling into a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 50 miles from the center, while tropical storm-force winds reached up to 175 miles away, placing Kauai County under a strict tropical storm warning.
Massive Surf and Flash Flooding Threats Across Island Shores
Coastal areas braced for destructive wave action as High Surf Warnings went into effect across the island chain. Hawaii News Now reported that massive waves of 20 to 30 feet were anticipated for the south shores of Kauai and Niihau, while south-facing shores of Oahu could see surges between 12 and 20 feet. Vulnerable coastal roads, particularly along Lawai Road on Kauai, faced severe risks of saltwater overwash and structural damage.
Rainfall totals presented an equally severe hazard. Forecasters projected 6 to 10 inches of rain across Kauai and Niihau, with maximum totals potentially exceeding 12 to 14 inches in mountainous interior regions. The Associated Press noted that the heavy precipitation threatened to trigger significant flash floods and mudslides across steep terrain, prompting the Kauai Emergency Management Agency to advise residents to stay home for several days with adequate food, water, and prescription supplies.
Unusual Triple-Hurricane Activity in an Active Pacific Season
Lowell’s approach coincided with an extraordinary meteorological alignment in the Pacific basin. As The Guardian reported, Hurricanes Karina, Lowell, and Marie churned simultaneously across the Pacific, marking the region’s first triple-hurricane stretch in a decade. This heightened storm activity followed close on the heels of Tropical Storm Moke and Hurricane Lala. Governor Green’s administration reported that Lala alone inflicted significant infrastructure damage on the Big Island, alongside damage to residential homes.
International meteorologists tied the active season to a strengthening El Niño pattern. United Nations officials warned that the current climate phenomenon was tracking to become the strongest in four decades, creating broader conditions for extreme weather events through February 2027.
Local Preparations and Hunker-Down Efforts in Līhuʻe
In Līhuʻe, supermarket shelves emptied as residents secured supplies ahead of the storm’s peak impacts on Monday night. Real estate agent Lori Benkert told The Associated Press that she purchased extra propane for cooking and boarded up properties on the western side of the island. Everybody is probably going just to hunker down,
Benkert said.
State crews secured local harbors, positioned emergency equipment in strategic zones, and monitored reservoirs for potential overflows. Forecasters expected Lowell to accelerate northward and clear the Hawaiian archipelago by Tuesday morning, leaving emergency responders to assess any structural damage and clear blocked roadways.
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