At the time of writing on September 13, 2026, Hurricane Lowell recovery underway. Yesterday officials reported that power is restored for 76% of Kauai’s customers. That’s excellent progress considering that 90% of the island was with out power immediately following the storm.
Damage assessments are still ongoing. It may take a little more time for residents and businesses to fully grasp what restoration must be done. Then, getting the funds, resources, and manpower to do the actual restoration could take months — especially for an island with limited resources.
Official information resources
In the meantime, here are official resources to gather more information:
- The County of Kauai is issuing frequent press releases with up-to-date information and also addressing rumors.
- The County of Kauai’s facebook page also has some helpful information.
- The Hawaii visitor and convention bureau has a page dedicated for post Lowell information and advisories. Note that earlier this week, the Hawaii Tourism Authority recommended tourist reschedule travel to Kauai.
Check directly with your accommodation and their social media
If you have upcoming travel scheduled to Kauai, check directly with your accommodation to verify whether they anticipate they will be open. Note that some resorts may not have power yet, working phone lines, and/or the ability to update their social media.
Social media, particularly Facebook, has proven to be an effective way for resorts to communicate Lowell impacts. I have seen numerous updates from hotels and other accommodations on social media. Go to Facebook.com and search for the name of your accommodation. Click on the link for their official page and follow along for their updates. Here are some examples from the major hotels in Poipu and southwest Kauai:
- Koa Kea’s Facebook page and their post Lowell announcement
- Sheraton Kauai in Poipu was damaged, though they haven’t yet made a Facebook post, here is a link to their page where they will hopefully keep visitors informed.
- Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa’s Facebook page. Note that they posted that they intend to be fully operational by September 20.
- Waimea Plantation Cottages’ Facebook page and their most recent Lowell announcement.
Though Poipu was heavily hit, other parts of Kauai were not completely spared. Here is a sampling of Facebook pages of other Kauai resorts:
- From Princeville, 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay’s Facebook page
- From Kapa’a:
- Sheraton Coconut Beach Resort’s Facebook page (note their announcement that they plan to reopen September 19.
- OUTRIGGER Kauai Beach Resort & Spa’s Facebook page
- Kauai Shores Hotel’s Facebook page
- From Lihue, Royal Sonesta Kauai Resort’s Facebook page
Additional information resources
- Visit the official website for State parks for updates.
- Lists of local television and radio stations for weather and news
How to help Kauai
Just our two cents, but from what we’ve observed in the past, for example from the Maui wildfires and in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, we think it’s best to donate to a local food bank. Here is the link to Kauai Food Bank. Additionally, many local churches offer local assistance. Perhaps search for your preferred denomination and Kauai to find a local churches who are directly feeding and helping.
—
Other related articles from us, GoVisitHawaii.com:
Sheila Beal
