Hurricane Lowell brings threat of floods, mudslides and tornadoes to Hawaii

Center of storm passed west of the islands and was moving away but flooding and mudslides will continue to be a risk

Damaging winds and heavy rains from Hurricane Lowell pelted Hawaii ’s western islands on Tuesday, knocking out power to thousands and ripping up stretches of beachside roads.

Fierce winds downed trees and caused widespread power outages on the island of Kauai, home to 73,000 residents. The Kauai island utility cooperative reported that nearly all of its members were without power early Tuesday.

Emergency officials asked residents to stay off roads as damage assessments were just beginning.

“As the light comes up and the extent of the damage from Hurricane Lowell comes into focus, we want to ensure that no additional emergency situations arise unnecessarily,” said Elton Ushio, administrator of the local emergency management agency.

Waves that crashed onto Kauai’s southern coast tore apart a road along the coast and pushed piles of sand and lava rocks into a beachside park, said Rochelle Ballard, a former professional surfer who runs a surf school across from the park.

It will take weeks of cleanup, she said. Her family’s surf shop and neighboring restaurant came away without damage, but she said a friend’s house was destroyed.

“It’s going to take a while. I think we’ll be fine,” Ballard said. “We’ve been through this before.”

The center of the storm passed west of the islands early Tuesday and was moving away, but tropical storm-force winds extended well beyond, the National Hurricane Center said. On Kauai, sustained winds measured just above 50mph (80km/h) at Lihue airport.

Hurricane warnings for Kauai and the tiny island of Ni’ihau, which has fewer than 100 permanent residents, were no longer in place by Tuesday morning local time. A tropical storm warning was also lifted for Oahu, the state’s most populated island with close to 1 million residents.

But flooding and mudslides will continue to be a risk through the day, said Eric Blake, of the National Hurricane Center.

Some wind gusts reached 80mph, 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.

There was extensive damage across Kauai, and crews were using heavy equipment to push trees and debris off the roads, said Derek Kawakami, the mayor of Kauai county. About 300 people were staying in shelters on Kauai.

Lori Benkert, a Kauai real estate agent who lives in Lihue, said she endured a loud, windy night after her power went out on Monday evening. The storm downed trees next to her house, and the community’s main road was closed because of fallen trees, she said.

“We’re fine. My house did great with no boarded-up windows,” Benkert said. “But there are a lot of downed power lines.”

The Hawaii governor, Josh Green, closed schools and government offices on the three islands for Tuesday ahead of the storm.

Rainfall totals could reach up to 24in (60cm) in some areas on Kauai. Oahu, Maui and the Big Island also could see large amounts of rain.

Last month, Tropical Storm Lala brushed past Hawaii and stirred up landslides, washing away about 100 homes and causing widespread power outages.