Hurricane hunters fly through Hurricane Lowell
Hurricane hunters flew directly into Hurricane Lowell as it churned off the coast of Hawaii on Sept. 7, capturing a dramatic view inside the storm.
Hurricane Lowell is passing just west of Hawaii in the early morning hours of Sept. 8, according to the National Hurricane Center, bringing with it “damaging winds, heavy rainfall and powerful waves.”
The latest advisory from the hurricane center said Lowell was passing just west of Niihau, the westernmost of the main Hawaiian Islands, with maximum sustained winds around 110 mph with higher gusts. After passing the Hawaiian Islands on Tuesday, Lowell is expected to turn toward the northwest and west and slow down on Wednesday, Sept. 9 and Thursday, Sept. 10, the NHC said.
A hurricane warning remains in effect for Kauai County, including the islands of Kauai and Niihau, where hurricane conditions began on the afternoon of Sept. 7. A tropical storm warning is also in effect for Oahu, according to the hurricane center.
Lowell is forecast to produce rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches for Kauai, with maximum storm totals of 24 inches possible. For the Big Island, an additional 3 to 8 inches of rain is expected with isolated storm totals around 12 inches. Forecasters said Oahu and Maui could see an additional 2 to 5 inches of rain, with isolated storm totals around 10 inches.
The heavy rain could produce “significant flash flooding and mudslides, especially across Kauai and portions of the Big Island,” hurricane center forecasters said.
Residents in flood-prone and coastal areas have been urged to move to safer locations or refuge areas if necessary, while emergency officials warned that power outages, road closures and disruptions to water service may occur as Lowell moves past the state.
Hurricane Lowell path tracker
This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time.
Hurricane Lowell spaghetti models
Illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest-performing models to help make its forecasts.
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@usatoday.com.