NEW! Hurricane Watch for Kauai and Niihau as of 5pm Hawaii Time Sunday
As I feared (see below), the National Hurricane Center has moved the path of Hurricane Lowell farther east, which requires a hurricane watch for Kauai and Niihau. The pink/blue = tropical storm warning with a hurricane watch. Red is a hurricane warning for the western Hawaii Atoll, which are largely unpopulated islands and mini-islands. Take a look at the brown area which is the radius of hurricane force winds ( ≥ 75 mph) and the amber is tropical storm force winds (39-74 mph). Remember, the white is the forecast path of the center of the storm. From the National Hurricane Center The surf will be more than rough, it will be life-threatening. Below are the storm surges as forecast by NHC. Of course, the high waves generated by Lowell will be on top of the storm surge. There will be flooding, especially on Kauai and landslides are possible in the mountains. While this is not as strong as Iniki (whose center went right over Kauai), all hurricanes are dangerous...