Kauai residents prepare and brace for Hurricane Lowell

People on the island of Kauai are hunkering down, hoping this storm does not leave too much destruction in its wake. KTVU's Amber Lee joins us now after speaking to residents on the island. I can only imagine, based on what Mark is telling us, the live picture, it is going to be a stressful evening out there. That's right, Mike. People tell me they've gotten plenty of advance warning, so they're prepared. Still, they're anxious as they brace themselves for what's to come. We've been preparing our structures. If you look over here, are you able to do so? Yeah. You can see how the windows have been boarded up in anticipation of the hard winds. Retired fire captain Tim Terrazas helped his neighbor board up his home in Kilauea, a town on the north shore of Kauai. He says the National Hurricane Center has kept residents updated so people have been preparing for a week. We've had ample time to get ready, whether it be doing your Costco run or, like I say, buttoning up the house. We've had a lot of time. So right now, we have families. They're all on standby. We're ready for, like I say, put us in, coach. The National Weather Service says the hurricane could lead to heavy rain, flooding, mudslides, and even tornadoes. Hawaii Governor Josh Green warns people to stay home and stay off the roads. There will be flooding, certainly in parts of Kauai. There's also going to be very heavy surf, especially in the southern part of Kauai, 20 to 30 foot waves. There are 115 mile per hour winds, and if you are caught in that windstorm, it's very dangerous. We've put an extra platoon of service members on duty on Kauai, and we're providing all the extra support possible. Be in touch with your neighbors. Make sure if there are any elderly neighbors that they're cared for. The Department of Transportation says ports and airports are prepared to weather this storm. For us at the airport, we don't anticipate any major damages. We have our generator that's all ready to go. Before we open up again, we're going to make sure that we inspect both the land side and the seaside to ensure that there's no issues before we start bringing ships in. The people of Hawaii are counting on the Aloha spirit to get them through this. Everybody watches out for one another. Everybody's taking care of one another. And so we're very, very fortunate along that line. The governor has announced that all schools, state and county offices will be closed on Tuesday. Hurricane Lowell comes just weeks after Hurricane Lala, which affected most of the island's population. All right. Hoping and thinking about all the residents on that island tonight. Amber, thank you for that.