Hurricane Lowell brought high winds and heavy rain to Hawaii's western islands early Tuesday, prompting warnings for potential floods, mudslides, and tornadoes. Kauai and Niihau were under a hurricane warning, and Oahu, the most populous island, was under a tropical storm warning.
The National Hurricane Center stated that the storm's center passed west of the islands early Tuesday and was moving away. However, tropical storm-force winds extended approximately 200 miles from the storm. Lihue Airport on Kauai recorded sustained winds slightly above 50 mph, with gusts reaching 80 mph. By early Tuesday, the sustained winds had weakened, and the storm was expected to continue dissipating.
Flooding and mudslides were identified as the primary risks throughout the day. Road crews worked to clear sand and rocks from a highway on Oahu's western coast after floodwaters submerged parts of the roadway north of Honolulu. In anticipation of the storm, Hawaii Governor Josh Green closed schools and government offices on Kauai, Niihau, and Oahu for Tuesday.
Rainfall totals were projected to reach up to 24 inches in some areas on Kauai. This follows Tropical Storm Lala, which impacted Hawaii the previous month, causing landslides and widespread power outages.
Meanwhile, the remnants of Hurricane Marie, no longer a tropical storm, were causing dangerous surf conditions along the coasts of Mexico's Baja California and Southern California. Swells with life-threatening surf and rip currents were expected to persist for several days. In Malibu, California, a sinkhole caused a beachfront home's driveway to collapse into the sea on Tuesday morning.