Two are dead and thousands are left without power in Hawaii due to damage caused earlier this week by Hurricane Lowell.
The hurricane, which saw winds gusting at almost 90 miles per hour in some parts of Kauai County, caused nearly the entire island of Kauai to lose power. Additionally, the island’s roads, harbors and airport operations were compromised, according to a statement released by the governor’s office.
As local residents, business owners and leaders start to assess needed repairs, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green submitted an expedited request to President Donald Trump asking for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration. The declaration would allow the state to receive supplemental federal assistance before field damage assessments.
“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 release.
Federal funds would be used to repair public infrastructure, support emergency power generation, provide disaster loans for small businesses and offer individual assistance to affected residents.
Hurricane Lowell is the second major hurricane to hit Hawaii in recent weeks, with it following soon after the rampage of Hurricane Lala in mid-August.
“State, county, utility and emergency personnel are working around the clock, but the scale and urgency of these impacts exceed what Hawaii can address alone,” Green said. “We are asking our federal partners to act quickly so we can restore essential services, support affected families and rebuild stronger.”
Some funds will be used to restore vital Kaumalapau Harbor
A portion of the federal funds would be used to repair the Kaumalapau Harbor on Lanai, the island’s only commercial cargo facility, Green said in his request to Trump. The harbor “remains inoperable” following the storm, according to a statement from the governor’s office.
An approximated 3,000 residents rely on the harbor for food, medical supplies, fuel and construction materials, and the loss of the harbor is “expected to be a principal element of the State’s unmet need,” Green said.
Power outages remain, affecting thousands of residents
Roughly 33,000 customers of the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, the island’s power company, experienced an outage during the storm, according to the governor’s office. This accounts for approximately 90% of the company’s customers.
There are 487 active outages remaining on the island as of Friday morning, according to KIUC’s outage map, affecting 10,041 customers.
