Hurricane Lowell is slamming Hawaii with flooding rain, wind, surge and waves.
The western portion of the state, especially Kauai, is experiencing life-threatening conditions as the storm makes its closest pass to the island chain through early Tuesday.
Hurricane warnings are in effect for Kauai and Ni’iha, and a tropical storm warning is in place for O’ahu.
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A tornado watch is even in effect for Kauai.
Where Lowell is now and current impacts
Lowell is currently about 90 miles west of Lihue and under 190 miles west-northwest of Honolulu.
Despite the center of the hurricane remaining offshore, Kauai is getting slammed with heavy rainfall. Rainfall rates of 1-3 inches have been reported. Kilohana, a historical landmark on Kauai, has seen nearly 14 inches of rainfall in 24 hours.
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The Kuhio Highway near the Hanalei River bridge and between Hanalei Plantation Road and the Hanalei Dolphin Restaurant is closed due to flooding.
Significant rises in water level have occurred along the South Fork of the Wailua River due to heavy rain upstream on Kauai Monday.
O’ahu Department of Emergency Management reported that Kamehameha Highway remained closed at Waikane and Waiahole due to debris cleanup.
The Honolulu Police Department reports Farrington Highway is closed in the Waianae area between Orange Street and Makaha Valley Road due to surf moving over the road.
Wind gusts across Kauai have reached up to 80 mph.
(MORE: What hurricane terms mean)
Where Lowell is headed next
Lowell is moving toward the north-northeast at 18 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The core of Lowell is expected to pass near or just west of Niihau Monday overnight (local time) into early Tuesday.
Lowell is facing increasing wind shear and cooling waters on its northward journey that will continue to knock down its intensity a bit, but it is still expected to remain a powerful hurricane as it makes its closest pass to Hawaii.
It will then turn toward the northwest and slow down by Wednesday morning after passing the Hawaiian Islands.
(MORE: What a hurricane’s forecast cone means)
Forecast impacts
Dangerous high surf is expected across Hawaii into Tuesday. Waves could reach up to 30 feet.
Tropical storm conditions are ongoing in Kauai County and will soon deteriorate to hurricane conditions. Tropical storm conditions are beginning on O’ahu as well. Wind speeds in higher elevations can often end up 30% stronger than near-surface winds.
Flood watches are in effect for the entire state as heavy rainfall could cause significant flash flooding and mudslides, especially for areas with steep terrain across Kauai County and portions of the Big Island.
For Kauai, an additional 4 to 8 inches of rainfall with maximum storm totals of 24 inches is possible. For the Big Island, an additional 3 to 8 inches of rainfall is expected with isolated totals of 12 inches possible.
O’ahu and Maui could see an additional 2 to 5 inches of rain, with isolated maximum totals of 10 inches possible.
Storm surge could also cause coastal flooding, with heights of 2 to 4 feet forecast for Kauai County and up to one foot for O’ahu.
There is even a tornado watch that is in effect for Kauai until early Tuesday morning.
(MORE: The science behind the Pacific’s three hurricanes)
What you should do
Here’s what you should know and do if you’re in Hawaii, especially in the western islands:
Make sure you have your hurricane plan ready to go, if needed. Plan for the potential of power outages that could last at least several hours, if not several days. If you’re in a flood prone area, especially in hilly terrain or near the coast, have a “go bag” of belongings prepared in case an evacuation is ordered by local officials.Dangerous surf and rip currents are likely in the entire island chain the next several days, especially on south-facing coasts, regardless of Lowell’s exact track. Stay out of the water if you’re not a strong swimmer or surfer. Obey all guidance from lifeguards. The third storm to impact Hawaii
Lowell is now the third storm to affect parts of Hawaii this El Niño-fueled Pacific hurricane season, following Lala, then Moke, both of which brushed parts of the islands in about a week’s time in August. In late July, Fausto passed north of the islands, but fizzled.
From early Sep. 1 to Sep. 2, Lowell rapidly intensified from a tropical storm to only the second Category 5 hurricane of the 2026 Pacific season.
Lowell weakened gradually but hung on to major hurricane status, meaning a Category 3 hurricane or stronger, until 11 am HST on Monday. The storm will continue to weaken over the next several days, but that will not do much to diminish the impacts that are ongoing.
(MORE: Hawaii hurricane history)
Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.