Hurricane Lowell struck Hawaii’s western islands on Tuesday, bringing damaging winds and heavy rains that resulted in widespread power outages and significant damage to coastal infrastructure. The island of Kauai, with a population of about 73,000, was particularly affected as the storm downed trees and severed electricity for nearly all of the 35,000 members served by the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative.

Local emergency officials urged residents to conserve water and minimize travel while damage assessments were underway. On Kauai’s southern coast, powerful waves destroyed sections of a beachfront road and pushed sand and lava rocks into a nearby park. Rochelle Ballard, a former professional surfer and surf school operator located adjacent to the affected area, said cleanup efforts would likely take weeks. While her family’s business and a neighboring restaurant escaped harm, she noted that a friend’s home was completely destroyed. “It’s going to take awhile. I think we’ll be fine,” Ballard said, adding she and the community have dealt with similar storms in the past.

The storm’s center passed to the west of the islands during the early hours of Tuesday and moved away throughout the day. The National Hurricane Center reported that tropical storm-force winds remained widespread beyond the storm’s core. On Kauai, Lihue Airport, the island’s only commercial airport, recorded sustained winds slightly over 50 mph (80 kph) and was closed following the storm.

Meanwhile, along the Southern California coast, hazardous surf conditions generated by the remnants of Hurricane Marie were expected to persist for several days, posing ongoing risks to coastal areas. Officials there issued warnings related to the dangerous surf, though the primary focus remained on the storm’s impact in Hawaii.