Hurricane Lowell leaves trail of destruction across Kauai
Hurricane Lowell caused significant destruction across Kauai, Hawaii, destroying homes and infrastructure while leaving 80% of the county without power. Recovery efforts are underway as officials assess the damage from the Category 2 storm.
Why it matters
The event underscores the increasing vulnerability of island communities to extreme weather events and the resulting strain on local infrastructure.
POIPU, Hawaii — On Kauai's south shore, Hurricane Lowell lifted a home off its foundation and split it in two, the storm's powerful winds thrusting part of the structure across the street.
At a nearby Sheraton hotel, the hurricane carried several cars across the parking lot and destroyed the hotel's oceanfront restaurant. Its pool sits full of sand.
These are just two of the many scenes of destruction the hurricane has left in Hawaii after lashing the state's western islands with heavy rain, widespread flooding and tropical-storm-force winds on Monday and Tuesday.
Now the extensive recovery efforts begin.
A flood watch was issued Monday in Maui County. (Michelle Bir / AFP via Getty Images)
Lowell passed just west of the islands of Niihau and Kauai on Monday as a Category 2 hurricane, prompting the National Weather Service to issue the state's first-ever tornado watch.
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