Island getaway hit with urgent warning as hurricane damage leaves travelers without power

Kaua'i, one of Hawaii's westernmost islands, was battered by Hurricane Lowell on Sept. 7 and 8, which brought severe winds, heavy rain and widespread power outages.

As of Monday, the island was still recovering, with electricity restored to about 82% of customers, according to Kaua'i County officials.

Speaking to reporters just a few days ago, Kaua'i County Mayor Derek Kawakami discouraged tourists from visiting and said the island was still digging itself "out of the mud."

The mayor added that Kaua'i would "gladly welcome" tourists once the island "recover[s] to a point where we can handle more capacity coming in," according to Kaua'i Now News.

"We are going to recover faster than I think we anticipated," he added, though he did not specify when the island might be ready to welcome visitors back.

The Hawai'i Tourism Authority (HTA) also posted an advisory late last week asking visitors to reconsider their trips.

Fox News Digital reached out to Mayor Kawakami's office for comment.

Also known as the Garden Island, Kaua'i is the fourth largest of Hawaii's main islands.

The island received nearly 1.42 million visitors in 2025, according to Hawaii's Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT).

Hawaii's tourism industry has faced a series of natural hazards this year.