Hurricane Lowell Turns Toward Hawaii; Kauai Faces Flooding

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green declares a state of emergency for the entire state, freeing up state resources and activating Hawaii National Guard units. Green said six high-water vehicles are being deployed to Kauai.

The National Hurricane Center clocks Lowell as a Category 3 hurricane with 125 mph winds, crawling northwest at 6 mph. CNN reported the storm has fluctuated between categories as it goes through the normal cycling of a major hurricane.

Tropical storm watches are issued for Kauai and Niihau, and a high surf advisory is in effect for south-facing shores, where the National Weather Service in Honolulu said waves could reach 14 feet through Sunday afternoon.

The weather service has a tropical storm warning up for Kauai County and a flood watch in effect for all of the Hawaiian islands through Tuesday afternoon, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The heaviest rain window across the islands.

Large waves arrive around high tide, raising the risk of coastal flooding. Winds are expected to be strongest Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning.

Lowell's center makes its closest approach west of Kauai and Niihau.

The swell fades as the hurricane moves away, and the tornado threat "should decrease quickly early Tuesday morning," the weather service said.

CNN, citing the forecast, reported 4 to 6 inches of rain for Kauai, Niihau and the Big Island, with isolated totals up to 10 inches, and 2 to 4 inches for Oahu, Molokai, Lanai and Maui — up to 8 inches in mountainous areas. The San Francisco Chronicle reported the weather service forecasts up to 14 inches at the high elevations of Kauai.

Surf is forecast up to 22 feet on south-facing shores of Kauai on Monday evening and up to 18 feet on east-facing shores, with 16 feet on Oahu's south shores and 14 feet on its east shores. Storm surge could flood normally dry coastal areas with up to 3 feet of seawater on Kauai and up to a foot on Oahu.

The hurricane center puts the chance of sustained tropical storm-force winds of at least 39 mph on Kauai at 30% to 60%, and the chance of hurricane-force sustained winds of at least 74 mph at less than 5%.

The Numbers