This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Hurricane Lowell lashed Hawaii with damaging winds, heavy rainfall and powerful floods, knocking out power for 91% of a western island as it pushed farther into the Pacific on Tuesday. Overnight, the core of the Category 2 storm passed within just 40 miles (64 kilometers) and 60 miles (97 kilometers), respectively, of the archipelago's two westernmost islands—sparsely populated Niihau and Kauai, home to some 70,000 people.
Kauai Island Utility Cooperative reported power was out for 91% of customers, and "damage assessments will begin as soon as possible this morning depending on weather conditions. There is no estimated time of restoration for any outages at this time." Farther east, on the island of Oahu, home to the capital, Honolulu, more than 20,000 customers were without power, according to Hawaiian Electric. "Customers" can refer to households, businesses and industry.
"Kauai emergency officials are urging all residents and visitors to stay off roadways and avoid unnecessary travel to allow first responders and emergency crews to continue operations and assess the widespread damage," the County of Kauai said in a statement. "As the light comes up and the extent of the damage from Hurricane Lowell comes into focus, we want to ensure that no additional emergency situations arise unnecessarily," said Elton Ushio, administrator of the Kauai Emergency Management Agency. Earlier, residents of Kauai and Niihau were warned to watch for tornadoes—though it was not immediately clear whether they formed.
Lowell packed sustained winds of around 110 mph (177 km/h) during its closest approach, with predicted rainfall of 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) for Kauai creating the potential for significant flash flooding and mudslides. Storm surge of 2 to 4 feet (0.6 to 1.2 meters) was expected to flood normally dry areas near the coast with rising waters moving inland. The storm briefly reached Category 5 strength last week.
Hawaii is still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Lala, which grazed the southern part of the Big Island last month, bringing destructive winds and flash floods. El Niño is the warming phase of a natural cycle in the tropical Pacific known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. It occurs every two to seven years.
The climate pattern promotes hurricane formation in the tropical Pacific while decreasing the likelihood of hurricanes in the Atlantic. Climate change increases El Niño's global weather impacts, but it is not yet certain whether it increases the risk of stronger El Niños. Master's in physics with research experience.
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