Verizon waives charges for Hurricane Lowell, prepares network in Hawaiʻi

HONOLULU, HI.-As Major Hurricane Lowell approaches Hawaiʻi, Verizon will waive domestic call, text, and data charges. This relief offer applies through September 14 for prepaid^* and postpaid consumer customers as well as small business customers^** throughout Kaua'i.

Customers do not have to take any action to take advantage of the offer.

In addition, Verizon has taken proactive, on-the-ground measures across the islands to protect connectivity. The company's focus: keeping customers, local businesses and public safety partners connected when it matters most.

"We know how stressful it is for the people of Hawaiʻi to brace for yet another storm," said Aimee Novak, West Area President for Verizon. "Our commitment to this community is enduring and our focus right now is keeping you connected to the people and services that matter most. With Hurricane Lowell approaching, our response teams remain fully activated, and we owe a massive thank you to the local crews working around the clock to support this community once again."

Verizon's network infrastructure in Hawai'i is engineered to withstand severe weather. A significant portion is backed by fully refueled permanent site generators providing multiple days of backup power reserves. At sites without permanent generators, we have portable generators and other backup solutions available for deployment. To further reinforce operational resilience against potential disruptions, Verizon engineers have satellite assets available to dispatch as needed.

Verizon is working directly with local power companies, the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA), and state public safety officials. The company remains on constant standby to safeguard critical communications.

Hurricane Lowell is the third tropical system this year to threaten the state, but with the size and strength of this storm, it's especially important residents finalize their personal digital preparedness plans :

1. Charge devices: Keep all mobile devices, tablets, and portable power banks fully charged well before storm watches or warnings are issued for your location.
2. Protect your gear: Place phones, chargers, and external batteries in waterproof accessories or heavy-duty zip-lock bags to safeguard them against floodwaters or rain.
3. Establish a communication plan: Coordinate a dedicated ohana (family) emergency plan and save key emergency contact numbers directly to your devices.
4. Check on your kūpuna (elders): To ensure their devices are charged and they have an emergency communication plan in place.
5. Secure visual backups: Take photos of your home, vehicle, and valuables for insurance purposes. Ensure these images are uploaded to the cloud so you can access them even if your phone is lost or damaged.
6. Utilize digital resources: Download critical weather tracking, news, and American Red Cross safety apps ahead of time.
7. Mitigate customer disruption: List critical software, equipment, service contracts and vital contacts (utilities, vendors, authorities) needed to maintain operations. Review coverage with your insurance agent to eliminate gaps.
8. Contacts and documents are key: Centralize updated contact info for all staff (including remote and satellite offices) and keep accessible, secure copies of your insurance policies.
9. Keep track of equipment: Maintain an inventory of all corporate hardware deployed to remote employees to streamline claims for potential loss or damage.
10. The right tech makes an impact: Secure the mobile-ready technology and infrastructure needed to maintain business connectivity if you are forced to relocate.
11. Have a backup plan: Establish a protocol to immediately reroute workloads if remote employees lose power or face evacuation.

Should terrestrial services become unavailable, Verizon encourages customers with compatible satellite-enabled devices (such as iPhone 14 or newer running iOS 18+, or Google Pixel 9 or newer) to test emergency satellite messaging features before the storm begins to cause impacts.

Verizon will continue monitoring Hurricane Lowell and will provide local network status updates as necessary. Customers can track real-time network status using the Check Network Status tool on Verizon's website or directly within the My Verizon mobile app.

Visit the Emergency Resource Center for further details on Verizon's emergency response capabilities.