Heavy rain and howling winds pounded Kauai and left nearly all of the Hawaiian island without power early Tuesday, as the outer bands of Hurricane Lowell spread over the western part of the state.
Although the storm began to pull away from Hawaii, hurricane conditions brought the threat of flash floods and mudslides that was expected to continue through the middle of the week.
The center of Lowell, which remained a Category 2 hurricane as of early Tuesday — meaning its sustained winds were between 96 and 110 miles per hour — passed the islands 90 miles west of Lihue, the main town on Kauai, according to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. The agency said flash floods, extreme surf and landslides — the island has steep ravines and canyons in some parts — were likely Tuesday in Kauai County, which also includes the private island of Niihau, and possible on Oahu. Residents on those islands were recommended to shelter in place.
On Kauai, known as the Garden Island for its rich, tropical rainforests and verdant valleys, a rain gauge at Mount Waialeale in the middle of the island reported more than 17 inches as of early Tuesday.
More than 33,000 customers — about 90 percent of the island — were out of power, according to the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative.
In the early hours of Tuesday, as the roaring wind bent palm trees and rattled windows in Kapaa, on the east side of the island, the pitch-black night sky was pierced by a few lights in the distance.
Earlier on Monday, hours before the worst of the storm hit, Kealiʻiheleua Makaloa Kaʻiminaʻauao, 47, stood proudly in front of his modest brown home in Koloa, on the south side of Kauai.
That home, where he grew up, weathered two hurricanes: Iniki in 1992 and Iwa in 1982. And he was confident it would survive another, after he put on a new metal roof about a month ago.
“We’re ready,” Mr. Kaʻiminaʻauao said on Monday. The owner of a construction business, he made sure his equipment was gassed up and ready. That included a chain saw to clear downed trees and an excavator to rescue neighbors trapped by floodwaters.
Mr. Kaʻiminaʻauao planned to stay up all night monitoring levels of the nearby Waikomo Stream and checking on nearby residents.
To the north, residents in Hanalei were cut off Monday night by the closure of a bridge because of flooded roads.
“It’s been whipping winds since the sun went down,” Joel Guy, a resident, said in a phone interview. He was checking in on neighbors via text and was hearing of rolling blackouts lasting 30 minutes or longer. Mr. Guy planned to wake up early and assess the damage.
“We’re stranded in Hanalei right now,” he said. But that was exactly where he wanted to be — safe at home.
Judson Jones contributed reporting.
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