Fausto cone narrows to Kauai and Niihau, bringing surf and rain risk
Kauai and Niihau were the only islands in Fausto’s cone, with Kekaha and Barking Sands facing the first surf and wind impacts.
The National Hurricane Center’s forecast cone narrowed to only Kauai and Niihau as Hurricane Fausto approached, putting Kauai County at risk for high surf, possible heavy rain and strong winds through the weekend.
The west side of Kauai was the area most directly exposed. Kekaha and the Pacific Missile Test Facility Barking Sands are locations where surf and wind from storms approaching from the east or southeast can hit hardest, and the island’s outer coast was expected to feel the first effects if Fausto’s swell built as forecast.
Heavy rain raised the chance of localized flooding and wind-related disruptions across the island, even if the storm never came ashore at peak strength. On Aug. 23, 2021, the remnants of post-tropical cyclone Linda crossed the state and brought heavy rain and strong winds to parts of the islands, including a track across Molokai and just south of Oahu.
Hawaii Emergency Management Agency guidance calls for 14 days of food, water and other supplies in emergency kits. Road access, power and deliveries can be interrupted by surf, flooding or wind damage.
The National Hurricane Center has used an experimental cone graphic since Aug. 15, 2024, to better communicate inland wind risk, not just the center line of a storm.
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