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Hawaii tropical storm weather
The gist
Hurricane Lowell's eyewall brushed Niihau and Kauai, knocking out power and flooding roads.
It is 2026's second hurricane to sideswipe Hawaii, closing schools and cutting power.
How it unfolded
- Sep 7, 2026Hurricane Lowell remained right of the latest NHC forecast track even as the track was adjusted east with each update; landfall in Hawaii was not expected, but the trend prompted a hurricane warning in western Hawaii for significant impacts.
- Sep 8, 2026Lowell's eyewall brushed Niihau, west of Kauai, bringing heavy downpours, high surf and hurricane-force wind gusts that pounded both islands, knocking out power and flooding roads; tropical storm conditions reached as far as Honolulu on Oahu.
- Sep 8, 2026Schools on Kauai, Niihau and Oahu closed Tuesday as Hawaii waited for Lowell to pass; thousands on Kauai were without power.