HONOLULU — Crews began repairing the only cargo port on one of Hawaii’s smallest main islands while power was being restored to another island Thursday, two days after Hurricane Lowell skirted along the state’s western edge. At least two deaths were linked to the storm.
On the island of Kauai, intense wind and surging waves damaged oceanfront resorts, ripped apart roads and knocked out power, prompting tourism officials to urge visitors to stay away for now. On Lanai, a harbor that supplies much of the food and fuel to its 3,300 residents was inoperable and will take about two weeks to repair, state officials said.
The overall destruction to Hawaii’s infrastructure, businesses and homes was expected to be the worst from a storm since Hurricane Iniki, a Category 4 storm that walloped Kauai in 1992 and caused $3 billion in damage.
While it has been a relatively quiet Atlantic hurricane season, there have been four hurricanes in the Pacific since the beginning of August. Another tropical storm formed Thursday, but it was not expected to make landfall.
Tourism takes a hit
Officials urged travelers to reschedule trips to Kauai or shift their destination to another island. Thousands of customers, including some resorts, remained without power, and crews continued clearing roads of downed trees and toppled utility poles.
“Adjusting your itinerary allows you to continue your Hawaiʻi vacation while supporting the state’s broader visitor economy as Kauaʻi recovers,” Caroline Anderson, interim president and chief executive officer of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, said in a statement.
Kauai sees only a small fraction of Hawaii’s almost 10 million visitors each year, but tourism is its top economic driver, with people coming from all over to take in its tropical landscapes, waterfalls and dramatic cliffs. Local estimates say tourism accounts for 4 out of every 10 jobs on the island.
The hurricane’s powerful storm surge buckled and washed away roads, knocked down the walls of homes and flooded resorts, sending rapids through a hotel lobby, overturning furniture and leaving debris everywhere. Extensive lines backed up at Kauai’s primary airport Thursday as people tried to depart the island.