{"id":612527,"date":"2026-09-10T12:57:31","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T12:57:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.olympiajournal.com\/news\/story\/612527\/after-hurricane-lowell-oahu-homeowners-urged-to-inspect-windows-and-exterior-seals-for-storm-damage.html"},"modified":"2026-09-10T12:57:31","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T12:57:31","slug":"after-hurricane-lowell-oahu-homeowners-urged-to-inspect-windows-and-exterior-seals-for-storm-damage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.olympiajournal.com\/news\/story\/612527\/after-hurricane-lowell-oahu-homeowners-urged-to-inspect-windows-and-exterior-seals-for-storm-damage.html","title":{"rendered":"After Hurricane Lowell, Oahu Homeowners Urged to Inspect Windows and Exterior Seals for Storm Damage"},"content":{"rendered":"
With damaging winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding affecting parts of Oahu, homeowners are being encouraged to check windows and exterior openings as storm recovery begins.<\/div>\n

KAPOLEI, Hawaii – September 10, 2026 – <\/strong>As Oahu begins assessing the effects of Hurricane Lowell, homeowners are being encouraged to inspect windows, frames, caulking and other exterior openings for signs of water intrusion or damage that may not be immediately obvious.<\/p>\n

The National Weather Service reported peak wind gusts across Kauai and Oahu reaching approximately 80 mph as Lowell passed the islands overnight. Hawaiian Electric reported approximately 21,000 Oahu customers without power early Tuesday, Sept. 8, with most of those outages concentrated along the Leeward and Windward coasts.<\/p>\n

Localized flooding and coastal inundation also affected portions of Oahu. In M\u0101kaha, high surf pushed water into ground-floor residential units and contributed to the temporary closure of portions of Farrington Highway.<\/p>\n

The combination of strong winds and wind-driven rain makes the period immediately following a tropical cyclone an important time for homeowners to evaluate the exterior envelope of their properties.<\/p>\n

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency guidance identifies windows and doors as particularly vulnerable areas during hurricanes and advises homeowners to maintain sealing and caulking around windows, doors and other exterior penetrations. Even relatively small gaps can allow significant amounts of water into a structure during prolonged heavy rain.<\/p>\n

For Oahu homeowners assessing their properties after Lowell, areas to examine include window frames and sills for moisture, staining or soft material; cracked or separated exterior caulking; glass or frames that appear to have shifted; windows that are suddenly difficult to open, close or lock; damaged screens or hardware; and unexpected moisture around interior trim.<\/p>\n

Condensation or fogging that develops between panes can also indicate a failed insulated-glass seal, although such failures are not necessarily caused by a single storm.<\/p>\n

Homeowners should also distinguish between ordinary replacement windows and products specifically tested and rated for hurricane-force winds or windborne debris. Not every replacement window is a hurricane-impact window, and homeowners seeking dedicated storm protection should verify applicable product testing and ratings.<\/p>\n

Windows Hawaii provides new and replacement windows throughout Oahu and is the exclusive Oahu distributor of Anlin’s Ali’i Extreme line, which was developed specifically for Hawaii’s tropical climate. Its features include high-performance glazing, weather stripping and window construction designed to address heat, ultraviolet exposure, air infiltration and Hawaii’s demanding coastal environment.<\/p>\n

“We never compromise when it comes to customer satisfaction. We aim to deliver quality materials and follow-through services,” said Mario Garcia, general manager of Windows Hawaii.<\/p>\n

Garcia’s comments reflect a broader consideration for homeowners following a significant weather event: an inspection should determine the actual condition of the window system before repair or replacement decisions are made.<\/p>\n

Homeowners who identify broken glass, significant frame movement, active water intrusion or damage extending beyond the window opening should avoid attempting unsafe repairs and consult the appropriate qualified professional. Structural damage should be evaluated separately from routine window maintenance.<\/p>\n

For homeowners whose windows were already aging, leaking or difficult to operate before Hurricane Lowell, the storm may provide an appropriate opportunity to determine whether maintenance remains practical or whether replacement windows for their Oahu home should be considered.<\/p>\n

The timing is significant because Hawaii remains within hurricane season, meaning homeowners may have additional severe-weather exposure before the season ends.<\/p>\n

Newsworthiness Justification<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hurricane Lowell brought damaging winds, heavy rainfall, power outages and coastal flooding to Hawaii in early September, creating an immediate need for property assessment and recovery throughout Oahu. The story connects current storm impacts with official Hawaii emergency-management guidance identifying windows, doors and exterior seals as vulnerable areas of the home. With additional hurricane-season activity still possible, identifying damage now may help homeowners address water intrusion, deteriorated seals and compromised openings before another significant weather event.<\/p>\n

About Windows Hawaii<\/strong><\/p>\n

Windows Hawaii is an Oahu-based home improvement company specializing in new and replacement residential windows, doors and exterior siding. The company joined the Northwest Exteriors family in 2007 and operates from Kapolei. Its local crews and office staff are factory-trained in the products and installation services they provide. Windows Hawaii is the exclusive Oahu distributor of Anlin’s Ali’i Extreme window and door line, which was developed specifically for Hawaii’s tropical climate. The company serves homeowners throughout Oahu, including Honolulu, Kapolei, Ewa Beach, M\u0101kaha, Waianae, Kailua, Kaneohe, Pearl City, Mililani and surrounding communities. More information is available at windows-hawaii.com.<\/p>\n

Media Contact<\/span>
Company Name:<\/strong> Windows Hawaii<\/a>
Contact Person:<\/strong> Kelly
Email:<\/strong> Send Email<\/a>
Phone:<\/strong> 808-671-0808
Address:<\/strong>Richardson
City:<\/strong> Kapolei
State:<\/strong> Hawaii
Country:<\/strong> United States
Website:<\/strong> https:\/\/windows-hawaii.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With damaging winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding affecting parts of Oahu, homeowners are being encouraged to check windows and exterior openings as storm recovery begins. KAPOLEI, Hawaii – September 10,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.olympiajournal.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/612527"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.olympiajournal.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.olympiajournal.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olympiajournal.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olympiajournal.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=612527"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.olympiajournal.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/612527\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.olympiajournal.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=612527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olympiajournal.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=612527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olympiajournal.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=612527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}