Key facts
- Hurricane Lowell caused damage on Kauai, including downed trees, crumbled roads, and destroyed piers.
- Hurricane Lala brought damaging winds to the Big Island and Oahu.
- Hawaii has not had a direct hurricane landfall since Iniki in 1992.
- El Niño is causing hurricanes to form further south and west, increasing the risk to Hawaii.
- Human-caused climate change made sea surface temperatures along Hurricane Lowell's path up to 60 times more likely.
Hawaii is experiencing an unusual hurricane season, with two named storms, Lowell and Lala, impacting the islands. Historically, Hawaii's remote location and cooler waters to its east have protected it from direct hurricane hits. However, exceptionally warm sea surface temperatures this year, driven by an intensifying El Niño phenomenon and human-caused climate change, are altering storm patterns.
El Niño typically limits Atlantic hurricane activity while enhancing Pacific storms, causing them to form further south and west, increasing their potential to track towards Hawaii. This year's warm waters also contributed to Hurricane Lowell temporarily becoming a Category 5 storm. According to a report from Climate Central, human-caused climate change made the warm sea surface temperatures along Lowell's path up to 60 times more likely.
Hurricane Lala made landfall on the Big Island and Oahu in August, bringing damaging winds—the first hurricane-force gusts recorded there in 155 years. More recently, Hurricane Lowell brushed past the islands, causing significant damage on Kauai, including downed trees, power lines, crumbled roads, and destroyed piers. The last direct hurricane landfall in Hawaii was Iniki in 1992, which caused widespread destruction.