Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green on Friday announced significant progress in Kauaʻi County’s recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Lowell.
About 72% of power is restored on Kauaʻi, with state, county and utility crews continuing around-the-clock work to restore essential services, reopen transportation routes and repair critical infrastructure.
Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative restored 12 of 15 transmission lines around the island. Hawaiian Electric crews are also on Kauaʻi assisting with restoration, with additional crews arriving to support work, particularly on the North Shore.
“Getting 72% of Kauaʻi’s power restored this quickly is a tremendous accomplishment given the extent of the damage,” said Green. “This progress is the result of people working day and night across government, our utilities and our communities. We know some families are still waiting for power and other essential services, and we will keep pushing until the job is done.”
Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation is also making significant progress restoring Kauaʻi’s transportation system.
Līhuʻe Airport is open and operating on commercial power, which was restored at 5 p.m. Thursday.
Airport operations and staffing continue to stabilize and passengers can return to the standard recommendation of arriving 90 minutes before interisland flights, or 2 hours before flights to the continental United States.
The state Transportation Department also is developing plans to upgrade the airport’s emergency generators to strengthen resilience for future emergencies.
There are no remaining total closures restricting access to homes on Kauaʻi state highways.
Kūhiō Highway (Highways 56 and 560) is open through Hāʻena, with crews continuing to remove debris beneath the mauka Wailuā River Bridge. The majority of Kuamoʻo Road was also cleared. State crews continue working to clear the remaining section of Kōkeʻe and Waimea Canyon roads.
Ahukini and Halewili roads remain closed because of downed utility poles.
Nāwiliwili Harbor is open, while Port Allen remains closed to commercial operations because of damage to navigational buoys. Divers are working to re-establish the buoys, while state Transportation continues coordinating with U.S. Coast Guard and other partners to restore operations and maintain critical deliveries.
“I want to thank [Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative], [Hawaiian Electric], Hawaiʻi National Guard, [Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation], [Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency], Kauaʻi County, Mayor Derek Kawakami, our state agencies, mutual-aid crews and all of our partners,” Green said. “Every restored power line, reopened road and repaired piece of infrastructure gets us one step closer to recovery.”
Hurricane/Tropical Storm Lala updates
Hurricane Lala recovery efforts continue on Hawaiʻi Island, particularly in Kaʻū where state, county, federal and utility partners have worked to restore infrastructure and support affected communities.
Power restoration advanced rapidly following the storm, aided by Operation TREK808, which brought additional utility crews and equipment to Hawaiʻi Island aboard Air Force aircraft. State crews also moved quickly to repair and reopen Highway 11, restoring a critical transportation lifeline through Kaʻū.
Following the presidential emergency declaration, federal assistance is supporting Hawaiʻi’s response and recovery efforts, including emergency protective measures and direct federal assistance.
Work continues to address damage to public infrastructure, support impacted families and communities, as well as protect and respectfully recover iwi kūpuna affected by flooding at Nāʻālehu Cemetery.
Preparing for the next storm
Green and his administration are actively working to prepare for the approach of what is now Tropical Storm Norbert, which forecasters say could come near the state during the second half of next week or that weekend, but they also say it’s too early to predict.
This is the time to replenish emergency supplies and prepare your household. Click here for additional information.
Statewide disaster recovery
Hawaiʻi faced an extraordinary series of natural disasters so far this year, including severe rain events, the magnitude-6.0 Kona earthquake, Hurricane/Tropical Storm Lala and Hurricane Lowell.
Green issued emergency proclamations throughout the year to allow the state to pre-position personnel and equipment, mobilize resources and accelerate response and recovery. The state also sought federal assistance following multiple disasters, including an expedited request for a presidential major disaster declaration following Hurricane Lowell.
The state Disaster Case Management Program was expanded statewide to connect disaster survivors with trained case managers who can help develop individualized recovery plans and navigate housing assistance, financial recovery, federal and state benefits and community resources.
Anyone in need of support can connect with the statewide Disaster Case Management Program by calling 211 or emailing contact@hawaiidcmp.org. A team will work to determine eligibility, understand recovery needs and guide people to needed resources.
Click here for more information about the Disaster Case Management Program.
Visitor message
Hawaiʻi remains open and continues to welcome visitors with aloha.
Kauaʻi, however, is in an active period of healing and recovery, so travelers should carefully consider conditions before visiting the island.
Visitors with upcoming Hawaiʻi vacations are encouraged not to cancel their trips and consider visiting Oʻahu, Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi or Hawaiʻi Island instead to give Kauaʻi communities, workers and infrastructure time to recover.
Tourism supports families and businesses throughout the state, and responsible travel continues to support Hawaiʻi’s economy during its recovery.
