Tourism officials are urging visitors to postpone trips to Kaua‘i or switch to another Hawaiian island as the popular destination recovers from damage caused by Hurricane Lowell.
The storm battered the island on Monday and Tuesday, 7 and 8 September, bringing powerful winds, heavy rain and surging waves that damaged coastal resorts, roads and homes. Thousands of residents and businesses were still without electricity on Friday as crews cleared fallen trees and utility poles.
The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority has advised people with upcoming bookings to reschedule their stay or consider visiting O‘ahu, Maui, Lāna‘i or Hawai‘i Island instead. It said travellers already on Kaua‘i should limit journeys to essential trips and follow guidance from their accommodation providers.
“Our hope is that visitors will adjust their travel plans instead of cancelling their trip to Hawai‘i altogether,” Caroline Anderson, the authority’s interim president and chief executive, said. She added that changing an itinerary would allow tourists to continue supporting the state’s visitor economy while Kaua‘i recovered.
Hurricane Lowell leaves Kaua‘i infrastructure damaged
At Līhu‘e Airport, long queues formed after the storm knocked out the island’s power and damaged one of the terminal’s two backup generators. The airport was operating with a single generator, forcing security screening to be reduced to one line and causing extended delays.
Hawai‘i’s Department of Transportation said airlines were maintaining scheduled flights but spacing them out to give passengers more time to pass through security. Power interruptions were also forcing screening equipment to be repeatedly restarted.
State officials said about 72% of Kaua‘i’s electricity had been restored by Friday, 11 September, while utility and government crews continued working around the clock. State parks across the island remained closed because of blocked roads, storm damage and the risk of flooding and other hazards.
The storm also damaged Kaumālapa‘u Harbour on neighbouring Lāna‘i, disrupting deliveries of food and fuel to the island’s roughly 3,300 residents. The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation said the harbour was expected to resume operations on Sunday, 13 September, although further repairs would continue.
Kaua‘i relies heavily on tourism, which supports a substantial share of local employment. Officials said the priority remained restoring essential services and clearing routes for residents, emergency workers and repair crews before normal visitor activity could resume.
