Hurricane Lowell Destroys Kauai Homes, Triggers Widespread Outages

Hurricane Lowell hit Hawaii as a Category 2 storm, tearing a home from its foundation on Kauai, tossing cars at a Sheraton, and destroying an oceanfront restaurant, with widespread flooding and about 80% of Kauai customers without power as crews assess damage. Oahu recorded heavy rain and one death, though its link to the storm isn’t yet confirmed. Lowell has weakened to a tropical storm as it moves away, but lingering moisture could bring more rain and slow cleanup. The surge in Pacific storms is tied to a strong El Niño that NOAA says could become the strongest on record.