Kauai Island Utility Cooperative reported that about 81 percent of its members had power back as of Sunday afternoon, September 13, and Hawaii's congressional delegation spent the weekend urging President Donald Trump to approve major disaster declarations that have not yet been granted. According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the cooperative restored roughly 1,850 additional customers over the previous 24 hours, with pocket outages remaining in parts of Anahola, Kapaa, Wailua, Lihue, Poipu, Omao, Kalaheo, Lawai, Hanapepe and Kaumakani. Kokee also remained without power.

That leaves roughly one in five Kauai accounts still waiting almost a week after the storm passed, and the wait is not evenly distributed. Most of the members still without service are on the North Shore between Moloaa and Haena, where the transmission line feeding about 5,000 accounts was badly damaged, particularly along Powerline Road.

For those households, the practical questions are food spoilage, refrigerated medication, well pumps that will not run without electricity, and whether a generator can be fueled and serviced. KIUC President and Chief Executive Officer David Bissell said the first North Shore restorations were expected early this week in the Kilauea, Princeville and Hanalei areas. "We will know much more in the next couple of days as we gauge the progress of our crews," Bissell said in comments reported by Hawaii News Now.

North Shore Customers Face the Longest and Least Certain Wait

The sequence matters for anyone trying to plan. Transmission lines have to be repaired and energized before crews can assess, repair, and re-energize the distribution circuits that run to individual homes. KIUC has said there is no estimate for full North Shore restoration because damage to utility infrastructure, especially along Powerline Road, is extensive.

As of Friday afternoon, September 11, the governor's office reported that KIUC had restored 12 of the island's 15 transmission lines. Roughly 100 additional personnel from Hawaiian Electric, Southern California Edison and HMS Construction began deploying across Kauai on Monday, joining KIUC employees and contractors for a total restoration workforce of about 250. Much of that crew and equipment was redeployed from Hawaii Island, where it had been supporting Hurricane Lala recovery in the Kau district, and Air Force crews airlifted six utility trucks from Hilo to Lihue Airport.

Households can update their contact details with the cooperative by phone to receive outage alerts, and KIUC's outage center and FAQ page carry its official updates. Residents in pocket-outage areas elsewhere on the island are being restored as crews reach them, which means a neighbor's lights coming back on is not a reliable signal about any individual address.

Debris is now the limiting factor as much as line work. Governor Josh Green, describing the effort during a visit to Kauai, said restoration "can go a lot faster, but it takes removing that debris before we put the power back on."

Damage Estimates Are Early and Vary Widely by Measure

Green said during that visit that Lowell's cost to the state would exceed $400 million. That figure is a preliminary state estimate rather than a validated federal assessment, and independent modelers have published different numbers that measure different things.

The analytics firm Cotality put insured losses from Lowell at $0.5 billion to $1 billion, with most of the damage expected on Kauai. Chuck Watson of Enki Research estimated total economic damage across the islands at about $600 million, rising toward $1 billion if flooding proved severe. Insured losses and total economic damage are not the same measure, and all of these figures should be read as early.

The Lala comparison is instructive for households trying to gauge what federal help looks like in practice. A FEMA-validated damage assessment for Lala found more than $67 million in statewide damage eligible for public assistance and identified 267 damaged residences across three counties that could qualify for individual assistance, with Hawaii County accounting for 217 of those homes. Public assistance repairs roads, harbors, and public buildings. Individual assistance is the category that reaches renters and homeowners directly, and for Lowell, the delegation is seeking both for Kauai and Maui counties, along with other needs assistance, statewide hazard-mitigation funding, and Small Business Administration disaster loans.

Insurance is more complicated than a single policy check. In Hawaii, hurricane wind coverage is typically a separate policy or endorsement rather than part of a standard homeowners policy, and flood losses generally fall to the National Flood Insurance Program or private flood policies. That distinction matters in a storm that pushed surf and surge into oceanfront neighborhoods. Residents should file claims promptly, photograph and video all damage, and keep receipts for repairs and temporary lodging. The state has expanded its Statewide Disaster Case Management Program to serve households affected by both Lowell and Lala.

A Season That Ran Hawaii's Crews From the Big Island to Kauai

Nature World News previously reported on Kauai's early restoration timeline, and the 1,500 miles of line crews had to inspect. At that point, roughly 33,000 of about 36,000 member accounts were out, and KIUC had declined to give restoration estimates until assessments were finished.

What has changed is that the assessment phase is over and the constraint is now physical labor and debris removal. What has not changed is the alert picture, and it is worth stating plainly: the Hurricane Warning for Kauai and Niihau and the Tropical Storm Warning for Oahu were both lifted on Tuesday, September 8, and Lowell has long since weakened and moved away. There is no active tropical alert for the Hawaiian Islands connected to this storm.

Lowell's center never came ashore. At 11 p.m. HST on September 7, it was about 90 miles west of Lihue as a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 110 miles per hour, with hurricane-force winds extending up to 70 miles from the center. The National Weather Service's preliminary wind and rainfall summary lists peak gusts of 92 miles per hour at Puu Lua, 87 at Nawiliwili, 85 at Waimea and 84 at both Barking Sands and Lihue Airport, with 18.63 inches of rain at Waialeale. Earlier, while more than 400 miles south of Hilo, Lowell had reached Category 5 intensity with sustained winds of 160 miles per hour, making it the first Category 5 hurricane in the Central Pacific basin since Walaka in 2018.

On Hawaii Island, state crews have repaired and reopened Highway 11 through Kau, restoring the main transportation route through the district. Officials are also working to protect and respectfully recover iwi kupuna affected by flooding at Naalehu Cemetery.

What Officials Have Confirmed, and What They Have Not

Bissell described the scale of the problem in the cooperative's first post-storm statement, saying crew and public safety came before any restoration estimate. "We know our members want to know when their power will be restored," he said. "Right now, we need to understand the extent of the damage and what repairs are necessary before we can provide reliable restoration estimates."

Green, announcing progress when restoration reached 72 percent, credited the mutual-aid effort in a statement from the governor's office on Kauai recovery. "Getting 72% of Kauaʻi's power restored this quickly is a tremendous accomplishment given the extent of the damage," he said. "This progress is the result of people working day and night across government, our utilities and our communities."

Two deaths have been linked to the storm. Kauai County officials said the body of Steven Palama, 74, of Kalaheo, was found on the afternoon of September 9 along the shoreline fronting Nomilu Fishpond, where he was the caretaker, and they believe his death was related to storm surge. An autopsy is pending and foul play is not suspected. On Oahu, Floyd Ruiz, 31, died after a tree fell on his tent at Sherwoods in Waimanalo; the Medical Examiner's Office ruled the death an accident caused by multiple blunt force injuries.

The federal declarations remain unapproved, and the total damage figure remains unvalidated. Households should watch the utility's daily updates rather than outage maps alone, check the Kauai Emergency Management Agency and county press releases before travel, and follow county guidance on debris staging. Anyone reentering a damaged structure should check for downed lines, gas lines, and foundation damage first, and should treat any downed line as energized. The next significant development will be the federal decision on the declaration requests.

Developing Story Timeline

September 8, early morning HST: Lowell passes west of Niihau and Kauai. About 33,000 of roughly 36,000 KIUC accounts lose power. Hurricane and tropical storm warnings are lifted later that day.

September 9, HST: Green tours Kauai, says damage will exceed $400 million and submits an expedited request for a presidential major disaster declaration for Kauai and Maui counties.

September 10, HST: Restoration reaches about 66 percent. Power returns to Lihue Airport, ending generator-only operations.

September 11, HST: The governor's office reports about 72 percent restored and 12 of 15 transmission lines repaired. KIUC later reports about 73 percent.

September 12, HST: Restoration reaches about 76 percent. Mutual-aid vehicles are airlifted from Hilo to Lihue.

September 13, afternoon HST: KIUC reports about 81 percent restored, with roughly 100 mutual-aid personnel deploying the next day for a workforce of about 250.

What Readers Want to Know

How much of Kauai still has no power? About 19 percent of KIUC members were still out as of Sunday afternoon, September 13, most of them on the North Shore between Moloaa and Haena.

When will North Shore power come back? KIUC has not given a full restoration date. Bissell said the first North Shore restorations were expected early this week in the Kilauea, Princeville and Hanalei areas.

Has a federal disaster declaration been approved? Not as of Monday, September 14. Requests covering Lowell, Lala, and Tropical Storm Moke were still pending, and Hawaii's congressional delegation was urging approval.

Are any hurricane warnings still active for Hawaii? No. The Hurricane Warning for Kauai and Niihau and the Tropical Storm Warning for Oahu were lifted on September 8.

Does my homeowners insurance cover this damage? Not necessarily. In Hawaii, hurricane wind coverage is usually a separate policy or endorsement, and flood damage generally falls to a flood policy. Check your policy language and file claims promptly with documentation.

What should I do before going back into a damaged building? Officials advise checking for damaged power lines, gas lines, and structural damage before entry, and treating any downed line as energized.

Where do official updates come from? KIUC's outage center, the Kauai Emergency Management Agency, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, and the county's press release page.