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Ongoing story / Hawaii

Hurricane Lowell's strike on Hawaii in September 2026

Overview · reviewed November 12, 2026

In September 2026 Hurricane Lowell lashed Hawaii's western islands, especially Kauai, with damaging winds and heavy rain, knocking out power to thousands and tearing up beachside roads.[1][2] Tourism officials asked visitors to stay away from Kauai while residents and businesses recovered.[3]

Read the timeline

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Tourism officials asked visitors to stay away from Kauai while residents and businesses recovered.[3]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2026-08-24 (UTC): 1%, 3 of 466 tracked outlets (3 left, 0 center, 0 right)Week of 2026-08-31 (UTC): 6%, 28 of 475 tracked outlets (8 left, 18 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-09-07 (UTC): 10%, 46 of 480 tracked outlets (14 left, 22 center, 10 right)Week of 2026-09-14 (UTC): 1%, 6 of 480 tracked outlets (2 left, 3 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-09-21 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-26 (UTC): 1%, 4 of 473 tracked outlets (4 left, 0 center, 0 right)Week of 2026-11-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRight

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings.We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 2 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (5 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Oct 26, 20264004 of 4731%
Sep 14, 20262316 of 4801%
Sep 7, 202614221046 of 48010%
Aug 31, 2026818228 of 4756%
Aug 24, 20263003 of 4661%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Oct 30, 2026 · first reported · Headline from The Garden Island

    Hurricane fallout batters Kauai tourism, weighs on statewide visitor numbers

Background

Kauai officials urged residents to prepare as the forecast track brought the storm close to the island,[4] and Lowell's effects reached as far as Southern California, where dangerous surf built up.[1] Intense wind and surging waves damaged oceanfront property,[3] and after the storm a local food business handed out free meals to hundreds of residents.[2] Hawaii's visitor industry lost momentum in September as the hurricanes disrupted travel, dealing a major blow to Kauai's tourism.[5]

Supporting stories (5)
  1. Hurricane Lowell battered Hawaii's western islands and is linked to at least 2 deaths
  2. Kauai small businesses ask tourists to return after Hurricane Lowell, with aloha and some patience
  3. Tourists should skip Kauai for now as it recovers from Hurricane Lowell, officials say
  4. Major Hurricane Lowell could turn toward Hawaii early next week
  5. Hurricane fallout batters Kauai tourism, weighs on statewide visitor numbers

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 5 recorded updates

October 2026

  1. Hurricane fallout batters Kauai tourism, weighs on statewide visitor numbersHeadline from Honolulu Star-Advertiser · 4 outlets

September 2026

  1. Kauai small businesses ask tourists to return after Hurricane Lowell, with aloha and some patienceHeadline from Philadelphia Inquirer · 6 outlets
  2. Tourists should skip Kauai for now as it recovers from Hurricane Lowell, officials sayHeadline from Bangor Daily News · 7 outlets
  3. Hurricane Lowell battered Hawaii's western islands and is linked to at least 2 deathsHeadline from WCBD News 2 · 54 outlets

August 2026

  1. Major Hurricane Lowell could turn toward Hawaii early next weekHeadline from Honolulu Star-Advertiser · 13 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →