On September 7th and 8th, the center of Hurricane Lowell came within 60 miles of the west coast of Kauai. Thankfully Lowell didn’t make direct landfall, but high surf and fierce 85 mph winds caused significant damage.
The effects to some degree were felt on all the islands, though Kauai and Ni’ihau were hardest hit. While many Kauai residents and businesses are assessing damage, early reports indicate that the south and west areas of Kauai were significantly affected.
Poipu is a resort area that had hotels, condos and homes damaged. The luxury resort Ko’a Kea was damaged by flooding and wind. Watch the following CBS video showing shocking video footage of the storm surge.
Another Poipu resort that sustained damage was the Sheraton Kauai Poipu Beach hotel. Check this video link showing some of the exterior damage at this Sheraton property. The pool is full of sand and the pathway is gone.
The following KHON2 segment provides and overview other significant impacts to the Poipui area:
For more news coverage and images, also see this Kauai Now article.
Other parts of Kauai also experienced high winds, flooding, and power outages. Fallen trees, debris, downed power lines, and landslides resulted in road closures. For a full list of road closures on Kauai through September8th see this link and check this page for newer updates.
Most of Hawaii’s Big Island, Maui, and Oahu experienced limited and isolated disruptions from Hurricane Lowell. Check the visitors bureau for updates and advisories for those islands. Personally, I would not hesitate to go to these islands in the near future.
While conditions are improving for Kauai, personally, in the near term, I would reschedule a Kauai vacation for at least a couple of weeks. Again, this is my opinion, but I think it will take a week or two or even longer to fully restore power, make some of the roads passable, etc. I wouldn’t recommend visitors go out sightseeing in these conditions and honestly, sightseeing should be the absolute lowest priority. Alternatively, instead of postponing an upcoming Kauai vacation plan, perhaps you could divert to one of the other Hawaiian islands. Please check the visitors bureau for their latest advice regarding travel in the aftermath of Lowell.
Full recovery might take many months. Our hearts ache for the lovely people of Kauai.
Sheila Beal
