Hurricane Lowell Brushes Niihau and Kauai as El Niño Drives Hawaii's 2nd Hurricane in 1 Year
Updated
Updated · The Conversation · Sep 8
Hurricane Lowell Brushes Niihau and Kauai as El Niño Drives Hawaii's 2nd Hurricane in 1 Year
3 articles · Updated · The Conversation · Sep 8
Summary
Lowell’s eyewall brushed Niihau on Sept. 8, pounding Niihau and Kauai with heavy rain, high surf and hurricane-force gusts, while tropical-storm conditions reached Honolulu on Oahu.
A southward-migrating low-pressure trough turned the storm north toward Hawaii, and warmer-than-normal El Niño waters helped sustain it near the islands instead of weakening it sooner.
The storm was the Pacific’s 14th named system and fifth hurricane of 2026, extending a notably active start to the season that has already brought Hawaii a near-miss from Hurricane Lala in August.
Hawaii is usually spared because it is a small target and cooler waters east of the islands weaken approaching storms, but El Niño years raise cyclone odds near the state through warmer seas and more favorable winds.
The Pacific season runs through Nov. 30; hurricane risk near Hawaii typically eases in fall, while landfall danger usually shifts toward Mexico’s Pacific coast.