CBS News
· collected 2026-09-08 · by Brian Dakss, Emily Mae Czachor
Hurricane Lowell is passing just west of Hawaii, bringing damaging winds, heavy rain, and punishing waves. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and has left tens of thousands of homes and businesses without power. The National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane warning for Kauai County and a tropical storm warning for the island of Oahu, with potential rainfall totals ranging from 4 to 8 inches in some areas. Tornado watch is in effect until 4 a.m. local time for Niihau and Kauai due to "life-threatening surf and rip current conditions" associated with the hurricane.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Hurricane Lowell threatened Hawaii's major islands, including Kauai and Ni'ihau, with life-threatening conditions, heavy rainfall, and strong winds. The Category 4 hurricane was forecast to pass just west of the islands on Monday night, but its center could have brought tropical storm conditions to parts of the island chain. The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for Kauai County, including the islands of Kauai and Ni'ihau, as Lowell was expected to bring rainfall totals of 6-10 inches, with maximum totals of 14 inches possible.
Lowell's path shifted slightly to the east, increasing the likelihood of significant impacts for Kauai County. The hurricane had already weakened from a Category 3 to a Category 2 storm by Monday evening, but its strong winds and heavy rain still posed a threat to the islands. Tens of thousands of homes and businesses lost power as Lowell passed by Hawaii on Tuesday morning.
The storm's center moved within 110 miles northwest of Lihue, the county seat of Kauai County, and 215 miles west-northwest of Honolulu. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 70 miles from the storm's center, and the hurricane had the potential to pour up to 2 feet of rain on parts of the island chain.
As a result of Lowell's expected impacts, public schools, county offices, and state offices on Kauai were closed on Tuesday. The National Hurricane Center warned of life-threatening surf and rip current conditions, as well as possible tornadoes, in areas affected by the storm.
Lowell was one of three storms to threaten Hawaii within a few weeks, marking an unusually active hurricane season in the central Pacific.
Written for “Hurricane Lowell in Hawaii” on 2026-09-08,
grounded in this article and the 8 other(s) covering the same event.
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No political leaning scored for article 6986 · logged 2026-09-08
Hurricane Lowell is skirting western Hawaii, bringing damaging winds, heavy rain and punishing waves, the National Hurricane Center said.
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Center → skirt → winds
The storm has also left tens of thousands of homes and businesses in the dark.
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storm → leave → dark
The
hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph early Tuesday, after weakening somewhat from a major Category 3 storm.
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hurricane → have → storm
Map shows Hurricane Lowell's path
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Map → show → path
As of the latest advisory at 2 a.m. Tuesday morning local time, Lowell was 110 miles northwest of Lihue, the county seat of Kauai County, which includes the islands of Kauai and Niihau, and 215 miles west-northwest of Honolulu.
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which → include → Honolulu
It was moving northward at 18 mph.
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It → move → mph
Hurricane-force winds extended outward as much as 70 miles from Lowell's center.
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winds → extend → center
Lowell had the potential of pouring up to 2 feet of rain on parts of the chain as well as producing "life-threatening surf and rip current conditions" and even some tornadoes, the hurricane center said.
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center → have → surf
It issued a
for Kauai County and a tropical storm warning for the island of Oahu.
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It → issue → Oahu
The warning extends to a large swath of the vast Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, which covers almost 583,000 square miles of ocean and includes 10 of Hawaii's islands.
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which → extend → islands
A tornado watch is in effect until 4 a.m. local time for Niihau and Kauai and their surrounding waters for tornadoes and waterspouts associated with Lowell, CBS Honolulu affiliate KGMB-TV reports.
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TV → surround → Lowell
Conditions were "very hazardous" late Monday night in both Kauai County and on Oahu, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said, adding that people in both places should shelter in place overnight.
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people → say → place
Heavy rainfall
The hurricane center noted that Lowell was expected to produce additional rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches for Kauai, with maximum storm totals of 24 inches possible.
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totals → note → inches
More than a foot of rain has already hit some areas.
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foot → hit → areas
Sundey Allan, a longtime resident of Kauai, told CBS news hat she had rented a beachfront house for her daughter's birthday just as Lowell began to stir up high waves and dump heavy rain on the island.
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Lowell → tell → island
She said they had been pulling outdoor furniture, trash cans and other items inside.
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they → say → furniture
"Anything that could fly, we're going to try to protect," she said.
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she → fly → ?
Allan was among the Kauai locals for whom Lowell has brought back memories of Hurricane Iniki, which devastated the area in 1992.
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which → bring → 1992
Other parts of Hawaii were bracing for ongoing heavy rain, too, as well as waves that could reach 20 or 30 feet high.
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that → brace → rain
For the Big Island, an additional 3 to 8 inches of rain was expected, with as much as 12 inches possible in some areas.
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inches → expect → areas
Oahu and Maui County could see an additional 2 to 5 inches of rain, with up to 10 inches in some areas.
uncertain
Oahu → see → areas
"This rainfall may produce significant flash flooding and mudslides, especially across Kauai County and portions of the Big Island," the hurricane center said.
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center → produce → Island
