Damaging winds and heavy rains from Hurricane Lowell were pelting Hawaii’s western islands on Tuesday, bringing the threat of floods, mudslides and tornadoes.
The islands of Kauai and Ni’ihau are under a hurricane warning, while Oahu, the state’s most populated island with close to 1 million residents, was under a tropical storm warning.
The center of the storm was passing west of the islands and moving away, but tropical storm-force winds extended nearly 200 miles (320 km), the National Hurricane Center said. On Kauai, sustained winds measured just above 50mph (80) at Lihue airport.
Some wind gusts reached 80mph (130kph), according to the hurricane center. But the force of the sustained winds had decreased by early Tuesday and the storm was expected to weaken in the coming days.
The Hawaii governor, Josh Green, closed schools and government offices on the three islands for Tuesday ahead of the storm. Kauai has a population of over 73,000 while Ni’ihau has fewer than 100 permanent residents.
Damaging winds, heavy flooding and dangerous surf were expected across the islands through at least the morning and possibly all day, the National Weather Service warned.
Rainfall totals could reach up to 24in (60cm) in some areas on Kauai.
Last month, Tropical Storm Lala brushed past Hawaii and stirred up landslides, washing away about 100 homes and causing widespread power outages.