Kaua'i Slammed by Hurricane Lowell Amid Active Pacific Season

Since Hurricane Lowell's high winds and heavy rain tracked through the Pacific, residents on Kaua'i have experienced severe flooding, downed trees and power lines, and destruction to homes and businesses.

Almost half of the island's structures were without power during the storm. This week, most power sources have been restored, but as of Wednesday, over 3,200 residents remained without power. Residents and organizations are working to assist those who lost homes and possessions due to the storm, including efforts to hand-deliver medical aid and hygiene supplies.

Jacquelyn Ingram, Director of Clinical Services for Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawai'i, is part of the relief effort. The maternal and child health coalition is based on Maui, but is working with local partners on Kaua'i. Ingram said the organization launched a family support line and has received requests for solar power banks, water purification supplies, over-the-counter medications, diapers, baby formula, and electrolytes, among other varied requests.

Direct Relief is working with local nonprofits and health agencies to determine recovery needs and offer field medic packs for triage care and personal care items for displaced people. The organization has worked with nearly a dozen organizations across Hawai'i in the wake of hurricanes and wildfires to provide emergency response support and meet health needs.

"The water I believe (is) still quite high in some areas," Ingram said in a message to Direct Relief. "People are using it to bathe, and are washing clothes and dishes in rivers and streams."

After Lowell, Power Still Out for Thousands

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Lowell was tracked as a tropical storm before intensifying to a Category 5 hurricane. It weakened to a Category 2 storm when it tracked west of Kaua'i. While the hurricane never made landfall on Kaua'i, its destruction remains evident. Two people have been killed as a result of the storm on Kaua'i, and one on Oahu due to Lowell's impacts.

Days later, Hurricane Norbert appeared in the Pacific. Norbert was much weaker than Lowell, but it brought rainy weather and muggy temperatures. To add to the recovery challenges, the Kapule Civic Center, which functions as Kaua'i County's destination for resident documents, including building permits, burned to the ground.

Kaua'i is a volcanic island, known for its lush, steep hills and high sea cliffs. The island is a popular spot for vacations and sees visitors year-round. However, local news reports have asked visitors to stay away from the island as displaced residents seek shelter in nearby hotels. Others are waiting in long lines for everyday needs like gas, medications, and groceries as many roads are impassable from high water or severe traffic.

Volunteers from Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies have traveled back-and-forth from Maui to deliver what people impacted by the storms need, ranging from Starlink for internet access to bug repellent given the standing water. Ingram said that gas, for cars and generators, remains scarce.

The Kaua'i Emergency Management Agency opened food distribution sites, and the Hawai'i National Guard's Task Force Hawaii deployed personnel to assist in debris cleanup and emergency operations.

El Niño Conditions Supercharging Pacific Storms

According to NASA, the northeast Pacific saw 15 named storms and six hurricanes prior to Lowell and Norbert this year. An El Niño weather pattern has enhanced hurricane activity in the Pacific, with an unusually mild hurricane season in the Atlantic.

Hurricane Lala ripped through the Big Island just one month prior. According to the Honolulu Civil Beat, the eye of the storm passed through the Big Island's southern point. The storm left one person dead and others injured. The local news outlet reported that over 30 roads were closed and 60,000 residents were without power.

The Hawai'i Island Community Health Center closed some sites early and rescheduled patient appointments ahead of the hurricane's impact. The federally qualified health center also relocated temperature-controlled and hard-to-obtain vaccines to locations that were expected to have a lessened impact from the storm.

Dr. Victoria Hanes, the health center's executive president of operations and administration, said that access to Starlink and satellite phones was the most useful resource following the storm through long-term power outages. Hanes said the health center is prepared for short-term outages, but the strength of the storm affected the entire island and all 14 of their sites, including the school-based centers, and the island's communication structure. Hanes said that several sites experienced severe flooding damage and long-term power outages.

"We serve such a large and geographically distributed area, needs really varied by region," she wrote in an email to Direct Relief. "We first focused on opening all sites where we could safely return to our facilities and then mobilized our mobile health clinics to serve areas where our clinics weren't able to operate."

Hazardous Weather Influences Health

Hurricanes can pose health risks as high winds cause damage to structures and falling debris can cause serious injuries. Oftentimes, evacuees don't have time to pack or refill necessary medications, or do not have access to their local pharmacy due to road closures, power outages, and evacuations.

Widespread power outages can also create hazardous conditions. Inoperable traffic lights increase the risk of traffic accidents, and the use of generators in flood-prone areas can cause severe injury. For people with chronic diseases, the lack of air conditioning or refrigerators for temperature-controlled medications during power outages can create life-threatening conditions. Downed power lines can also increase the risk of electrocution.

Floodwaters are often an effect of hurricanes. The high water decreases mobility and can create unsanitary environments that can lead to illness. Long-term water damage can also lead to expensive repairs and increase the risk of allergic reactions, asthma attacks, and respiratory infections.

"This event was a reminder that our island is particularly vulnerable to a variety of disasters," Hanes wrote. "We are very thorough in our emergency planning, and we would have had what we needed if it was a single region or clinic, but an event this significant stretched resources thin and left areas more isolated and inaccessible."

Since March 10, 2026, when the Kona Low storm system hit Hawai'i, and subsequent storms Hurricane Lala and Lowell impacted the islands in later months, Direct Relief has shipped more than $693,000 in medical aid to health centers, clinics, and nonprofit organizations on the islands, including Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Hawai'i and the Hawai'i Island Community Health Center.