Officials are urging holidaymakers to avoid Kauai, Hawaii, while the island recovers from Hurricane Lowell. The tropical storm, which hit earlier this week, caused high winds and surging waves that damaged coastal resorts, destroyed roads, and cut power.
Thousands of customers, including several resorts, were still without electricity late on Thursday. Crews are continuing to clear fallen trees and utility poles from streets, and long queues formed at Kauai’s main airport on Thursday as people attempted to leave the island.
Caroline Anderson, interim president and CEO of Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, stated that the hope is for visitors to adjust their travel plans rather than cancel their entire trip to Hawai‘i. This would allow them to continue their vacation while supporting the state's broader visitor economy as Kauai recovers.
The hurricane's storm surge damaged roads, homes, and flooded resorts. Two deaths have been blamed on the hurricane, including a 74-year-old man found near Kauai's south shore and a man found on Oahu after a tree fell on his tent.
Democratic Gov. Josh Green requested a major disaster declaration from President Donald Trump on Wednesday to expedite federal assistance for Kauai and Maui counties.