Schools, offices closed as Hurricane Lowell skirts Hawaii

Officials on Tuesday closed all public schools and government facilities on the Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Niihau as Hurricane Lowell passed near the islands. The storm’s course recently shifted east, with its center close to the northwest end of the Hawaiian chain, according to Gov. Josh Green. The storm weakened over the preceding days, dropping from a severe Category 3 hurricane on Monday to a Category 1 hurricane on Tuesday, with maximum sustained winds at 80 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Several thousand people on Kauai, Niihau, and neighboring Oahu lost power on Monday as the storm neared, according to Hawaii’s defense department. Officials also warned Tuesday that heavy rainfall, flash floods, rough waves, and the risk of landslides would continue on many of the Hawaiian islands for the next few days. They urged people to shelter in place and watch for emergency alerts.

Hurricane Lowell was expected to weaken to a tropical storm later Tuesday. It would likely turn away from Hawaii over the next few days, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Dig deeper: Read Travis K. Kircher’s report on another hurricane that passed near Hawaii in August.