A powerful hurricane bearing down on Hawaii has triggered a rush for emergency supplies, stripping store shelves and sending motorists into long lines for fuel.
Hurricane Lowell, a Category 3 storm, was moving toward the islands early Monday with sustained winds of 120mph and gusts climbing even higher.
On Kauai, residents hurried to prepare, with shoppers clearing out essentials, plywood supplies running low and propane sold out at one Home Depot. Crowds also built at Costco and at gas stations across the island.
Greg, an Oahu resident visiting family on Kauai, told local station KITV: ‘I think it looks like everybody gathered those items already. Everybody is out. Just making sure that all those items are gathered and whatnot.’
Lowell’s outer rainbands had already begun reaching Kauai and Oahu, home to more than one million Americans combined, as the large storm picked up speed while tracking north through the Central Pacific.
As of 2am local time Monday, the storm’s center was located roughly 415 miles southwest of Lihue and 445 miles southwest of Honolulu. A hurricane warning remains in place for Kauai County, including Kauai and Niihau, where officials warned that efforts to safeguard lives and property should be completed urgently.
Forecasters said hurricane conditions could arrive there by Monday afternoon or evening, with winds over hills and mountains potentially reaching speeds 30 percent stronger than those measured closer to the surface.
Lowell could bring as much as 14 inches of rain, raising the risk of major flash flooding, mudslides and destructive surf, forecasters warned. Several tornadoes are also possible, while dangerous, life-threatening surf is expected to affect the islands for days.
A monster hurricane barreling toward Hawaii has sparked panic buying, emptying shelves and sending drivers scrambling for gas
Locals have found that many stores are out of essentials ahead of Hurricane Lowell’s approach
Shoppers on Kauai have rushed to stock up, leaving empty shelves, dwindling supplies of plywood and no propane at one Home Depot, while long lines formed at Costco and gas pumps
Kiare Reis-Torres, a Kauai resident, told KITV: ‘I’ve never experienced this, but I know that when I went to Big Save yesterday, most of the shelves were empty.
‘And then I saw that Costco was just flooded with people. Everybody’s just trying to grab their supplies.’
On Friday, Governor Josh Green declared a state of emergency for Hawaii and activated the National Guard to respond to the storm’s impacts.
‘We are taking Hurricane Lowell extremely seriously and preparing now, before conditions deteriorate,’ Green said in a statement Friday.
‘I urge everyone, especially those in Kauaʻi County, to complete their preparations, follow official alerts and stay away from floodwaters, dangerous surf and other hazardous areas.’
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued an urgent warning for waters surrounding Kauai, where tropical storm conditions are expected from Monday morning through Tuesday afternoon.
The alert covers the Kauai Channel and waters off Kauai’s windward coast, where powerful winds could generate hazardous seas capable of damaging or capsizing vessels while sharply reducing visibility.
Locals said they have never seen such lines at gas stations
Shelves are empty at Home Depots as locals stock up on necessities
Although the hurricane watch for Kauai’s windward waters has been canceled, a tropical storm warning remains in effect.
Officials urged mariners to remain in port, seek safe harbor, change course or secure their vessels before conditions deteriorate.
Lowell was moving north-northeast at 10mph and is expected to pick up speed through Tuesday, according to the NWS.
The center of the hurricane is forecast to pass just west of the main Hawaiian Islands Monday night as it crosses portions of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.
John Bravender, warning coordination meteorologist at the NWS, said at a Friday news conference: ‘Just because we’re on the edge of the cone doesn’t mean we’re safe.’
Lowell is then expected to turn toward the northwest and slow down early Wednesday after passing the islands.
Category 3 Hurricane Lowell was churning toward the island chain early Monday with sustained winds of 115mph and even stronger gusts
Although gradual weakening is forecast through Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Lowell will remain a hurricane during its closest approach.
Hurricane-force winds extended up to 60 miles from the center early Monday, while tropical-storm-force winds reached outward as far as 175 miles.
That broad wind field allows Lowell to hammer communities even if its center remains offshore.
The hurricane had a minimum central pressure of 950 millibars, a sign of an extremely powerful storm. The lower the pressure at the center of a hurricane, the more intense it generally is.
Kauai faces the most immediate wind threat, with hurricane conditions forecast to begin within hours.
A hurricane warning is in effect for Kauai County, including Kauai and Niihau, where officials said preparations to protect lives and property must be rushed to completion
The island is expected to receive another six to ten inches of rain, although the hardest-hit locations could see as much as 14 inches.
Oahu could receive four to six inches, with isolated totals reaching eight inches, while the Big Island is forecast to see four to eight inches and localized amounts of up to 12 inches.
Maui could receive two to four inches, with up to eight inches in isolated areas. Another two to four inches may fall across the remaining islands.
The deluge could overwhelm roads and drainage systems, rapidly flood low-lying communities and send mud and debris cascading down steep terrain.
Conditions could deteriorate especially quickly in mountainous areas, where moist air driven uphill by Lowell can produce significantly heavier rainfall.
The threat will not end at the coastline.
Forecasters said several tornadoes could develop near Kauai and Niihau from Monday afternoon through Monday night. A smaller tornado threat stretches across the rest of the island chain.
Lowell is also expected to push ocean water onto normally dry land.
Storm surge could raise water levels one to three feet above ground in parts of Kauai County and up to one foot on Oahu if the peak arrives around high tide.
The greatest inundation is expected along the immediate coastline near and to the right of the hurricane’s center, where large and destructive waves will accompany rising water.
However, the severity of coastal flooding could vary sharply from one location to another depending on Lowell’s exact track and the timing of the tides.
Dangerous swells generated by the hurricane are forecast to pound shores for several days, creating life-threatening surf and rip currents even in areas that avoid the storm’s most violent winds.
Officials urged people elsewhere across the islands to closely monitor Lowell’s progress and follow alerts issued by their local NWS office.
