Hurricane Lowell shifted farther east early Monday morning Hawaii time, bringing the storm closer to Ni'ihau and Kaua'i and prompting the National Hurricane Center to issue a Tropical Storm Warning for Oahu. A Hurricane Warning was already in place for Kauaʻi County late Sunday, while parts of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument also remained under warning.
That change came as Lowell was still a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, located about 325 miles southwest of Lihue and moving north-northeast at 17 mph. The storm was expected to keep pushing more heavy rain, flash flooding, gusty winds and damaging surf across the entire island chain before its closest approach late Monday into early Tuesday.
Katie Byrne reported steady rain early Monday morning from Kōloa on Kaua'i, where the weather was already turning uneasy before the center drew any nearer. Around the state, some people boarded up their homes, and officials told residents on Kaua'i to keep at least three days' worth of food and supplies ready while also having an evacuation plan in low-lying areas.
The warning picture is tightening even as Lowell is losing some strength. It weakened from a Category 3 storm to a Category 2 storm in the 5 p.m. advisory, but that did not reduce the concern for the western islands. In fact, the shift east is what widened the impact, with the storm's center now forecast to come within 100 miles of Ni'ihau.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green declared a state of emergency last Thursday, underscoring how seriously officials viewed the setup before the storm’s closest pass. On Monday, Bryan Norcross urged viewers to stay with FOX Weather for live coverage as Lowell continued to take aim at the island chain with life-threatening impacts still ahead. The practical question now is not whether Hawaii will feel Lowell, but how hard the western islands will be hit before the system finally turns away.
