Hawaii News

Hurricane Lowell remains the dominant thread across the islands, with recovery, safety and fraud warnings now spreading beyond Kauaʻi. Maui Now reports that the Department of the Attorney General is warning residents to watch for scams after the storm and the significant damage on Kauaʻi, while Kauaʻi Now says verified GoFundMe fundraisers are being monitored to support people affected by the hurricane and that county residents and visitors still need updates on food distribution, power restoration and household recovery. Kauaʻi Now also reports that power has been restored to many North Shore residents overnight, though crews are still working in Hanalei, Kīlauea and other areas between Moloa‘a and Hanalei. Business owners are also weighing how and when tourism should return as they rebuild after the storm.

The storm’s broader financial and environmental effects are showing up in other coverage as well. Kauaʻi Now reports that Hurricane Lowell triggered another payout of Hawaiʻi’s first-ever Reef insurance, the second in three weeks, and that the event affected Kauaʻi, Niʻihau and parts of Oʻahu. Maui Now says more than 1 million eggs will be distributed statewide through a coordinated effort involving food banks, and the Attorney General’s scam warning suggests disaster-related fraud is already a concern. On the Big Island, grant funding remains available for readiness, response, recovery and rebuilding after Hurricane Lala, with Hawaiʻi Community Foundation’s Stronger Hawaiʻi Initiative supporting nonprofits working on disaster response and future resiliency.

Beyond storm recovery, state and university-related items are also moving. Gov. Josh Green recognized winners of the 49th annual Governor’s Awards, and Maui Now reports that Sen. Brian Schatz and Rep. Mark Pocan introduced the Debt-Free College Act. Big Island Now says the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has received a $3.6 million federal grant to study hidden environmental health threats tied to Hawaiʻi’s plantation era that may surface after disasters, and that a new Deaf history museum at UH Mānoa is bringing a century of Deaf history and culture into Hamilton Library. On the Big Island, Kīlauea’s summit remains highly pressurized, with five new vents opened and the timing of the 55th eruptive episode still unknown.