Updated

Hurricane Lowell, which had prompted hurricane warnings for Kauai County and the northwestern Hawaiian Islands earlier in the week, weakened to tropical storm status on September 9, 2026, as strong wind shear stripped away its convection and left the low-level center exposed. The storm then turned back toward the northwest as a ridge built in, easing the immediate threat to the main Hawaiian Islands. In the run-up, the National Hurricane Center had escalated watches to warnings beginning September 6 (UTC), Līhuʻe Airport was closed in preparation, and a flood watch covered the main islands through September 8 because of the risk of flash flooding and mudslides on Kauaʻi and parts of the Big Island. Also on September 9, Hawaii Governor Josh Green said initial estimates indicated Lowell's damage would exceed $400 million, more than the toll from Hurricane Lala, which had brushed the state only weeks earlier. The figure made Lowell one of the more expensive tropical cyclones in recent Hawaii history, with comparisons drawn to Hurricane Iniki of 1992, long the costliest storm to strike the islands. The event mattered because it struck a state with limited infrastructure redundancy and came in quick succession after another damaging system, compounding recovery needs across island communities.