Hurricane Lowell.

Airlines usually issue a travel waiver a day or two before a storm approaches, letting you rebook without a fee. Check your airline's app first — waivers appear there before anyone answers the phone. Lihue Airport stays open until winds make it unsafe, then reopens after inspection.

Na Pali boat tours, helicopters, and kayak trips cancel early and often when swell and wind build — usually days ahead of the storm itself. Operators refund or reschedule weather cancellations; contact them rather than waiting for a call.

Storm swell arrives long before the storm and lingers after it passes. Expect closed beaches, strong currents, and brown-water advisories from runoff. Do not snorkel, swim at unguarded beaches, or hike stream crossings on the Kalalau Trail during or after heavy rain.

Hotels and condos have storm plans — ask the front desk or your host for the shelter-in-place instructions. Fill water containers, charge devices and a battery pack, and keep a flashlight handy; outages are the most common impact on Kauai even from a distant storm.

Kauai has one main highway and it floods and slides. If a warning is issued, do not attempt the North Shore or Waimea Canyon roads. Fill your gas tank early — stations run long lines and lose power.

Keep three days of water (one gallon per person per day), non-perishable food, and any medication on hand. Grocery shelves on the island clear fast once a warning is posted, so shop at watch stage, not warning stage.