NR 10-02-26 (Oct. 2, Hurricane Lowell recovery, County of Kauaʻi services update)

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County of Kaua'i, State of Hawaii

*DEREK S.K. KAWAKAMI, *MAYOR
*REIKO MATSUYAMA*, MANAGING DIRECTOR






*News Release*

For Immediate Release: October 2, 2026






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RISE Logo (transparent background)

COUNTY OF KAUA‘I

KAUA‘I EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

ELTON USHIO, ADMINISTRATOR

 (808) 241-1800



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*Oct. 2, Hurricane Lowell recovery, County of Kauaʻi services update*

*LĪHUʻE –* Please see the latest updates on Hurricane Lowell recovery and County of Kauaʻi services below.

*Hurricane Lowell Recovery*

*North Shore debris pickup*

Crews will return to Wainiha and Hāʻena next week to continue picking up Hurricane Lowell debris, weather permitting. Crews are working from Wainiha through Hāʻena, as far as roads are accessible. Because some roads are inaccessible, all items must be placed along the county or state right-of-way. Crews cannot pick up from private property.


Crews will take furniture, appliances, metals, and construction debris. Please sort your pile into separate groups: appliances in one, metals in another, and construction debris in its own pile. Crews will NOT take green waste or propane tanks. Pickup will continue until the area is complete. If crews don’t reach you on the first pass, they will return.


*Hurricane resource centers*

The Hanalei and Kōloa hurricane resource centers are open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the following locations:


* Hanalei Neighborhood Center, 5-5358 Kūhiō Highway, Hanalei
* Kōloa Neighborhood Center, 3461B Weliweli Road, Kōloa

*SNAP benefits:* Starting the week of Oct. 5, State Department of Human Services staff will be on-site at the Hanalei hurricane resource center on Tuesdays only, beginning Tuesday, Oct. 6.

Households that lost food to power outages may be eligible for replacement SNAP benefits. Details are at https://humanservices.hawaii.gov.

The Hanalei Initiative runs an hourly shuttle, starting at 9 a.m., from The Hanalei Colony Resort to the Hanalei hurricane resource center.

*Emergency food distributions this week*

In partnership with Hawaiʻi Foodbank Kauaʻi, emergency food distributions are scheduled as follows:


* Today, Friday, Oct. 2: Hale Līhuʻe, 4286 Rice St., 3 to 5 p.m.
* Today, Friday, Oct. 2: Holy Cross Church, 2-2370 Kaumualiʻi Highway, 4 to 5 p.m.

*Utilities*

KIUC restored power to the majority of the island. However, some members in Kōkeʻe and other areas of Kauaʻi remain without power. Restoration in Kōkeʻe will take longer because of the extensive work needed there, and full restoration is not expected for several weeks. Do not approach utility crews or enter work areas.

Members needing a payment plan or financial help can visit https://kiuc.coop/payment-assistance or call (808) 246-4300. Collections for delinquent accounts are suspended at this time. Outage map: https://kiuc.outagemap.coop.

The Department of Water continues its Water Conservation Notice for customers in ʻAnini. The Water Conservation Notice for Hāʻena-Wainiha was lifted Sept. 25. Report outages or leaks at (808) 245-5444.


*Refuse*

Seven debris and refuse sites are open islandwide, with tipping fees waived for storm debris. Hours and accepted materials are at https://www.kauairecovers.org/debris.

Due to rainy, muddy conditions, the temporary Kīlauea and Kapaʻa green waste sites remain closed today, Friday, Oct. 2.

Today, Friday, Oct. 2:


* *Hanalei Refuse Transfer Station:* Green waste drop-off opened at 9 a.m. and will remain open until the site reaches capacity. Due to limited capacity, small commercial haulers of green waste will not be accepted at Hanalei. Metals and appliances drop-off also opened at 9 a.m. so crews could clear metals from the site first thing in the morning.
* *Līhuʻe and Hanapēpē:* Green waste sites are open to residents and small commercial haulers whose vehicles and trailers comply with the ¾-ton capacity limits.

Commercial haulers may contact permitted composting facilities for drop-off: Heart & Soul at (808) 823-1007, Green Earth Matters at (808) 651-2058, and Kauaʻi Nursery and Landscape at (808) 245-7747.

*County of Kauaʻi Services*

*Contacts for County of Kauaʻi offices*

General phone lines for most County departments have been restored. For the quickest response, callers are advised to speak to a live person rather than leave a voicemail. For a list of working numbers, visit https://www.kauairecovers.org/contact-us.

*Līhuʻe Civic Center*


* In-person services at the Līhuʻe Civic Center resumed Monday, Sept. 28. County systems continue to be restored following the Sept. 9 Kapule Building fire. Services may be limited or slower than usual. Additional details will be announced.
* Please call the office you plan to visit before going in. Working numbers are listed at https://www.kauairecovers.org/contact-us.

*Building permits and storm repairs*


* The Building Division is open and processing permit applications, including those submitted before Hurricane Lowell and new applications. Service may be slower than usual while County systems are restored.
* The Building Division counter is at 4444 Rice St., Suite 175, in Līhuʻe, open weekdays from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. Planning staff are also available at the counter for zoning permit questions.
* Pending applications will continue to be reviewed in the order received. Storm repairs covered by the emergency order do not go through the permit process and will not delay pending applications.
* The online permit status lookup, Click2Gov, is not available. For a status update, call (808) 241-4854 or email building@kauai.gov.
* *Most homes and buildings:* If your home or building was built with a County building permit and is not in a flood zone, you do not need a new permit to make necessary repairs for Hurricane Lowell damage. There is no fee and no County inspection is required, but work must still meet building codes. This includes building, electrical, plumbing, driveway, and sign repairs.
* *Properties in a flood zone:* Contact the Department of Public Works Engineering Division at (808) 241-4883 or pwengineering@kauai.gov before starting work. Include an elevation certificate if you have one. Structures with repair costs equal to 50 percent or more of their value need a building permit and must be rebuilt to current flood standards. Stockpiling debris in a regulatory floodway is prohibited.
* *Properties near the shoreline:* Repairs require a Special Management Area (SMA) assessment determination before work begins. The same 50 percent standard applies. Contact the Planning Department at planningdepartment@kauai.gov.
* Property owners who would like an inspection of their storm repairs may contact the Building Division. Answers to common permit questions are at https://www.kauairecovers.org.

*Real Property Division*


* Owners of storm-damaged property have until June 30, 2027, to file for disaster tax relief at https://www.kauai.gov/Residents/Report-Hurricane-Lowell-Property-Damage.
* For assessment questions, contact (808) 652-7490 or rpassessment@kauai.gov. For billing and collections questions, contact (808) 241-4272 or rpc@kauai.gov.

*Division of Motor Vehicles*


* Limited DMV staffing is available at the portable trailer in Līhuʻe. As services transition to the Kapaʻa DMV at 4750 Kahu Road, located at the Kapaʻa Armory, DMV staff will be available to only answer questions at both locations until systems are fully restored.
* *Notice of Transfer:* If you sold a vehicle, you can drop off your Notice of Transfer at the Kapaʻa DMV. Staff are entering Notices of Transfer into the system so records show the vehicle has been sold.
* At this time, expired driver’s licenses that cannot be renewed due to the DMV closure will not be penalized.
* Vehicle registration renewals are available online at https://mvr.ehawaii.gov/renewals/kauai/lookup and at community kiosks in Hanapēpē, Līhuʻe, Kapaʻa, and Princeville.
* Kauaʻi County residents can use the City and County of Honolulu’s online portal to request a replacement or duplicate copy of a valid Hawaiʻi driver’s license at https://mydmv.hnl.info/hnldl/duplicates.

*Kauaʻi farmers markets*

Several farmers markets have reopened:


* Monday: Kukui Grove Pau Hana Market, 3 to 5:30 p.m., 3-2600 Kaumualiʻi Highway, Līhuʻe
* Tuesday: Coconut Marketplace, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 4-484 Kūhiō Highway, Kapaʻa
* Wednesday: Kapaʻa Sunshine Market at Kapaʻa Beach Park, 3 to 4:30 p.m., 4-1604 Kūhiō Highway, Kapaʻa; and Kauaʻi Culinary Market, 3:30 to 6 p.m., 2829 Ala Kalanikaumaka St., Poʻipū
* Thursday: Coconut Marketplace, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 4-484 Kūhiō Highway, Kapaʻa; and Hale Puna, 3 to 5 p.m., 9600 Kaumualiʻi Highway, Waimea
* Saturday: Grove Farm Market at Puhi, beginning at 9:30 a.m. until supplies last, 4411 Kīkōwaena St., Līhuʻe; and Anaina Hou Community Park Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 5-2723 Kūhiō Highway, Kīlauea
* Sunday: Anaina Hou Community Park Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 5-2723 Kūhiō Highway, Kīlauea

For more information about farmers markets and Sunshine Markets, call the Office of Economic Development at (808) 241-4946.

*Kauaʻi Bus fares resume*

The Kauaʻi Bus resumed regular fare collection Thursday, Oct. 1. All passengers need to pay the applicable fare or show a valid bus pass, in line with regular fare policies. Bus operators and dispatch staff are on hand to answer questions and help riders through the transition.

*County of Kauaʻi facilities*


* Open neighborhood centers: Kīlauea Neighborhood Center, Kapaʻa Neighborhood Center, Waimea Neighborhood Center (side rooms only; main hall closed due to damage), Waimea Smokey Valley Clubhouse, Hanapēpē Neighborhood Center and Multipurpose Center, Kalāheo Neighborhood Center, Līhuʻe Neighborhood Center (old and new), Anahola Clubhouse, and Kekaha Neighborhood Center (patio only for previously scheduled parties).
* The 900 and 950 Kauaʻi Bus express routes are not running.
* Wailua Golf Course is open for all 18 holes. The driving range is closed until further notice.
* Waimea and Kapaʻa pools remain closed.
* County park closures: Salt Pond (park and pavilions), Kaumakani (pavilion without electricity), and Hanapēpē Stadium (football field, pavilion, restrooms, and tennis courts).
* All HI5 Redemption Centers are open. There are temporarily no Kauaʻi Recycles drop bins at the Hanalei Refuse Transfer Station. Recyclables are being accepted at Anaina Hou Community Park in Kīlauea on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

*Other updates*


* Boards and Commissions meetings are scheduled to resume in October. A calendar of upcoming meetings is at https://www.kauai.gov/Government/Boards-and-Commissions.
* The Sept. 8 Planning Commission meeting has been rescheduled to Oct. 13. Agenda items originally scheduled for Oct. 13 will also be considered at this meeting. For more information, contact the Planning Department at (808) 241-4050 or visit https://www.kauai.gov/Government/Boards-and-Commissions/Planning-Commission.

*County of Kauaʻi alerts*

To sign up for Everbridge, the County’s emergency notification service, visit https://www.kauai.gov/KEMA and click “Notification Services,” text “KAUAIEMA” to 888777, or call KEMA at (808) 241-1800.

Updates on County of Kauaʻi services and hurricane recovery information are available at https://www.kauairecovers.org.

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