HONOLULU — Damaging winds and heavy rains from Hurricane Lowell pelted Hawaii’s western islands Tuesday, knocking out power to thousands and ripping up stretches of beachside roads.
Along the Southern California coast, dangerous surf conditions kicked up by the remnants of Hurricane Marie were expected to stick around for several days.
In Hawaii, 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 roughly 35,000 members were without power early Tuesday.
Emergency officials asked residents to conserve water and stay off the roads as authorities assessed the damage.
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 awhile. I think we’ll be fine,” Ballard said. “We’ve been through this before.”
Hurricane Lowell didn’t make a direct hit on Hawaii
The center of the storm passed west of the islands in the overnight hours Tuesday and moved farther away throughout the day.
The storm’s tropical storm-force winds extended well beyond the center, the National Hurricane Center said. On Kauai, sustained winds measured just above 50 mph (80 kph) at Lihue Airport, the island’s only commercial airport that was closed after the storm.
Hurricane warnings for Kauai and the tiny island of Niihau, which has less 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.
Hurricane Lowell brings heavy rain, strong winds to Hawaii
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 80 mph (130 kph), according to the hurricane center. But the force of the sustained winds had decreased by early Tuesday and later the storm weakened and was no longer a hurricane. Lowell is expected to continue weakening in the coming days.
Storm left a mess on Kauai and Oahu
There was extensive damage across Kauai, and crews were using heavy equipment to push trees and debris off the roads, said Derek Kawakami, mayor of Kauai County. About 300 people were staying in shelters on Kauai.
Kauai real estate agent Lori Benkert, who lives in Lihue, said she endured a loud, windy night after her power went out 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.”
On Oahu, road crews were clearing sand and rocks from a major route along the island’s western edge after floodwaters topped a coastal highway, north of Honolulu.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green closed schools and government offices on the three islands for Tuesday ahead of the storm.
Rainfall totals could reach up to 24 inches (60 centimeters) 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.
Marie downgraded but still being felt in California
What’s left of Hurricane Marie was downgraded again and is no longer considered a tropical storm.
But it was still creating dangerous surf conditions along the coast of Mexico’s Baja California and Southern California. Swells with life-threatening surf and rip current conditions will continue for the next few days, the hurricane center said.
In Malibu, where big waves were pounding the shore, the driveway of a beachfront home that sits on pylons collapsed into a sinkhole Tuesday morning, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.
