Hawaii Braces for Heavy Rain and Flooding as Hurricane Lowell Passes West

Hawaii officials are urging residents and visitors to prepare for severe weather as Hurricane Lowell, a major Category 3 storm, passes to the west of the islands. The National Hurricane Center has issued a tropical storm warning for Kauai and Niihau, with the storm expected to move northward late Monday into Tuesday.

Forecasters predict rainfall totals of 6 to 10 inches (15-25 cm) for the warned islands, with isolated maximums of 14 inches (36 cm). The Big Island could see 4 to 8 inches (10-20 cm), and some areas may receive up to 12 inches (30 cm). Such rainfall could trigger significant flash flooding and mudslides, according to the hurricane center.

As of the latest advisory, Lowell was located about 575 miles (925 km) south-southwest of Lihue, moving north-northwest at 5 mph (7 kph). Maximum sustained winds were 125 mph (205 kph), with hurricane-force winds extending up to 50 miles (85 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds reaching 175 miles (280 km).

On Kauai, a combination of storm surge and tides could flood normally dry coastal areas with water up to 3 feet (1 meter) deep. The Kauai Emergency Management Agency has advised residents to fill gas tanks, charge devices, refill prescriptions, and stock up on water and food, preparing to stay home for several days.

In Lihue, a town of 8,000, supermarket shelves were emptying as residents stocked up. Real estate agent Lori Benkert bought extra propane to cook on her barbecue if power fails. She has boarded up two houses on the island's western side. "We'll lose some power, probably have some trees, a bunch of tree limbs coming down," she said. "Everybody is probably going just to hunker down."

Meanwhile, Hurricane Marie, a Category 1 storm, is generating dangerous surf conditions for Southern California. Located 800 miles (1,290 km) west of the Baja California peninsula's southern tip, Marie has maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph) and is moving northwest, paralleling the U.S. west coast. While no coastal watches or warnings are in effect, swells from Marie are expected to cause life-threatening surf and rip currents along parts of southwest Mexico, the Baja peninsula, and Southern California over the coming days.