Office of the Governor – News Release – Gov. Green Announces Major Recovery Progress Following Hurricane Lowell
STATE OF HAWAIʻI
KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI
JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR
KE KIAʻĀINA
GOVERNOR GREEN ANNOUNCES MAJOR RECOVERY PROGRESS FOLLOWING HURRICANE LOWELL
Kauaʻi Power Restored to 72%; Roads, Airport and Port Infrastructure Repairs Continue
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 11, 2026
HONOLULU — Governor Josh Green today announced significant progress in Kauaʻi’s recovery from Hurricane Lowell, with approximately 72% of the island’s power restored and 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 (KIUC) has restored 12 of 15 transmission lines across the island. Hawaiian Electric (HECO) 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 Governor 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.”
The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) 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 may return to the standard recommendation of arriving 90 minutes before interisland flights, or two hours before flights to the continental United States. HDOT is also developing plans to upgrade the airport’s emergency generators to strengthen resilience during future emergencies.
There are no remaining total closures on Kauaʻi’s state highways restricting access to homes. Kūhiō Highway, routes 56 and 560, is open through Hāʻena, with crews continuing to remove debris beneath the mauka Wailua River Bridge. The majority of Kuamoʻo Road has also been cleared. HDOT crews continue working to clear the remaining section of Kōkeʻe and Waimea Canyon roads, while 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 reestablish the buoys, while HDOT continues coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard and other partners to restore operations and maintain critical deliveries.
“I want to thank KIUC, HECO, the Hawaiʻi National Guard, HDOT, HIEMA, Kauaʻi County, Mayor Derek Kawakami, our state agencies, mutual-aid crews and all of our partners,” Governor Green said. “Every restored power line, reopened road and repaired piece of infrastructure gets us one step closer to recovery.”
Recovery work is also progressing on Lānaʻi, where HDOT is working to reopen Kaumālapaʻu Harbor, the island’s primary commercial cargo facility. Crews have begun clearing underwater hazards and repairing a sinkhole and damage to the pier area. Containers and debris are also being removed from the waterway with cranes and divers. HDOT estimates the waterway will be cleared and the harbor ready for operations by Sunday, Sept. 13, while land-side repairs continue.
STATEWIDE DISASTER RECOVERY
Hawaiʻi has faced an extraordinary series of natural disasters this year, including severe rain events, the 6.0 magnitude Kona earthquake, Hurricane Lala and Hurricane Lowell.
Governor Green has 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 has also sought federal assistance following multiple disasters, including an expedited request for a presidential major disaster declaration following Hurricane Lowell.
The state’s Disaster Case Management Program has been 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.
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 current conditions before visiting the island.
Visitors with upcoming Hawaiʻi vacations are encouraged not to cancel their trips to the islands and consider visiting Oʻahu, Maui, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi or Hawaiʻi Island instead, to give Kauaʻi’s communities, workers and infrastructure time to recover. Tourism supports families and businesses across the state and responsible travel can continue to support Hawaiʻi’s economy during its recovery.
TROPICAL STORM LALA UPDATES
Recovery from Hurricane Lala also continues on Hawaiʻi Island, particularly in Kaʻū, where state, county, federal and utility partners have been working 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 to protect and respectfully recover iwi kūpuna affected by flooding at Nāʻālehu Cemetery.
PREPARING FOR THE NEXT STORM
The Governor and his administration are actively working to prepare for the approach of Hurricane Norbert, which forecasters say could come near the state in the second half of next week or over the weekend, but they also say it’s too early to predict. This is the time to replenish emergency supplies and prepare your household. For information, please navigate to ready.hawaii.gov.
Video update by Governor Green, courtesy Office of the Governor
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