Hurricane Lowell strikes Hawaii, prompting disaster aid request after two storm-related deaths

Hurricane Lowell swept across Hawaii's western islands this week, delivering strong winds and a high storm surge that damaged resorts on Kauai, knocked out electricity for nearly 16,000 customers and crippled Lanai's main cargo port. First responders on Kauai discovered a 74-year-old man's body near the shore, and officials say a homeless man on Oahu was killed when a falling tree struck his tent. The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative reported power restoration to three hospitals and most residents by the next day.

Governor Josh Green said the overall destruction could rival the 1992 Hurricane Iniki and formally asked President Donald Trump to issue a major disaster declaration for Kauai and Maui counties. The system has been reclassified as a tropical storm and is moving westward over open water, while the National Hurricane Center noted the formation of Tropical Storm Norbert far to the southwest of Baja California.