Photo: MICHELLE BIR / AFP / Getty Images
Hurricane Lowell has knocked out a vital cargo port on Lanai, one of Hawaii’s smallest main islands, leaving its 3,300 residents with limited access to food and fuel and prompting urgent repair efforts. Power restoration is also underway on Kauai, where the storm caused widespread destruction, including damaged resorts, torn-up roads, and downed power lines, according to the Inquirer.
The only commercial harbor on Lanai, Kaumalapau Harbor, was rendered inoperable after the hurricane’s powerful winds and massive swells created a sinkhole, scattered containers into the ocean, and damaged the pier. The Hawaii Department of Transportation estimates repairs will take about two weeks, during which panic buying for gas and supplies has led to long lines at the island’s only gas station and its two markets, Richard’s Market and Pine Isle Market. Residents have reported gas rationing and uncertainty about when the next barge delivery will arrive.
With the harbor closed, community members and local boat captains are working together to find alternative ways to bring essential supplies to Lanai, including organizing volunteer deliveries to secondary ports. The state is also collaborating with airlines to deliver food, water, and other necessities by air while repairs continue.
On Kauai, storm surges and winds caused extensive damage to oceanfront resorts, flooded roadways, and knocked out power to thousands. The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative reported that, as of Thursday (September 10), nearly 16,000 customers were still without electricity, although service had been restored to three hospitals. Tourism officials are urging visitors to postpone trips to Kauai while the island recovers, and many travelers faced long lines at the airport as they tried to leave.
At least two deaths have been linked to the storm: a 74-year-old man on Kauai’s south shore, believed to have been swept away by storm surge, and a homeless man on Oahu who died when a tree fell on his tent during the storm.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green has asked President Donald Trump to issue a major disaster declaration to speed federal aid to Kauai and Maui counties. "We cannot wait for every damaged road, utility pole, harbor and public facility to be assigned a dollar value before asking the federal government to act," Green said in a statement.
Officials urge residents to conserve supplies and remain calm, emphasizing that all available resources are being mobilized to restore normal operations as quickly as possible. Repairs to Lanai’s main harbor are expected to be completed in about two weeks, but concerns remain about fuel availability and potential humanitarian impacts if delays persist.