Why Hawaii Is Bracing for Monster Hurricane Lowell Like It's 1992's Iniki All Over Again

Large waves break off Diamond Head Beach Park in Honolulu, Hawaii, on September 6, 2026. Hawaii is preparing for the effects of Hurricane Lowell, which could brush by the state's westernmost islands from the evening of September 7, even as its exact path remains unclear. The storm was passing south of the island chain on September 4 but is set to swing north over the US Labor Day long weekend, possibly putting Kauai and Niihau islands near its center, according to the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center (NHC). (Photo by Michelle Bir / AFP via Getty Images) (Credit: Photo by Michelle Bir / AFP via Getty Images)

• Lowell has dropped to a Category 3 storm with sustained winds near 120 mph as it tracks just west of Kauai and Niihau overnight, after twice reaching Category 5 strength earlier this month — only the third Pacific hurricane on record confirmed to hit that intensity twice.
• A Tropical Storm Warning covers both islands, with forecasters calling for up to 14 inches of rain in higher terrain, surf as tall as 20 feet on south- and west-facing shores, and gusts that could top 75 mph.
• Gov. Josh Green declared a state of emergency and mobilized 129 National Guard members; Kauai has opened five shelters as officials privately measure Lowell against 1992's Hurricane Iniki, the last storm to hit the island head-on.

Hurricane Lowell is sliding past Kauai and Niihau overnight several hundred miles weaker than the monster it was a week ago, though forecasters warn the storm still carries enough punch to trigger flash floods, mudslides and dangerous surf across Hawaii's western islands before it clears out Tuesday night.