LIHU‘E — Here are the latest updates on Hurricane Lowell recovery and County of Kaua‘i services.

Following the federal disaster declaration, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering low-interest disaster loans to eligible private nonprofit and faith-based organizations in Kaua‘i and Maui counties affected by Hurricane Lowell.

• Physical disaster loans: Repair or replace disaster-damaged property, equipment, inventory, and other assets.

• Economic injury disaster loans: Working capital to help cover operating expenses caused by the disaster.

• Mitigation funding: Loans can be increased by up to 20 percent of verified losses to make building upgrades.

Loans are available up to $2 million, with interest rates as low as 3.625 percent and terms of up to 30 years. There is no interest and no payments are required for the first 12 months after the loan is disbursed.

Application deadlines are Dec. 7 for physical damage loans and July 7, 2027, for economic injury loans. Apply online at https://www.sba.gov/disaster.

Nonprofits that provide non-critical services, such as community centers, senior centers, and food programs, must apply to SBA first before seeking FEMA grant assistance for permanent repairs.

For questions, call the SBA at (866) SBA-HELP, or (866) 722-4357, or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. People who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability can dial 7-1-1 for relay services.

Hurricane Lowell Recovery

Emergency food distribution

The County of Kaua‘i is partnering with Hawai‘i Foodbank Kaua‘i to hold emergency food distributions for residents affected by Hurricane Lowell. This is a mobile pantry distribution. Please bring reusable bags or totes.

Today:

• Hope Collective, 4303 Rice St., Lihu‘e, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

• Kekaha Neighborhood Center, 8130 ‘Elepaio Road, Kekaha, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Friday:

• Hale Lihu‘e, 4286 Rice St., Lihu‘e, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Enter from the Convention Hall, then exit onto Rice Street (right turn only).

• To respect local traffic, please line up no earlier than 15 minutes.

Federal disaster declaration approved

The White House approved a Major Disaster Declaration for Hurricane Lowell on Oct. 7, following Gov. Josh Green’s Sept. 9 request.

The declaration provides federal Public Assistance to Kaua‘i and Maui counties. This program helps government agencies and certain nonprofits recover the cost of storm cleanup and repairs to public roads, bridges, buildings, and utilities. It does not provide money directly to individuals or households.

Hurricane resource centers

The hurricane resource centers are now open on the following schedule:

• Hanalei Neighborhood Center, 5-5358 Kuhio Highway, Hanalei: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Koloa Neighborhood Center, 3461B Weliweli Road, Koloa: Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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

Utilities

KIUC restored power to the majority of the island. However, some members in Koke‘e and other areas of Kaua‘i remain without power. Restoration in Koke‘e 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 ‘Anini. 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.

North Shore refuse collection is now on Thursdays. Tuesday service is no longer available. Mahalo for your patience and understanding.

County of Kaua‘i Services

County of Kaua’i Online Services

As of Monday, all county services, with the exception of DMV services, have been restored. The county’s online service portal, connect.kauai.gov, is also back online and available for public use. Residents with questions about specific county services are encouraged to contact the appropriate county department directly for more information.

The County of Kaua‘i’s IT Department continues restoration efforts following the Sept. 9 Kapule Building fire.

Contacts for County of Kaua‘i 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.

Lihu‘e Civic Center

• In-person services at the Lihu‘e Civic Center resumed 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 Lihu‘e, 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 available again as of Monday. For more information or questions, 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 temporary Real Property Division office across from the Kapule Building in Lihu‘e and at the Kapa‘a Satellite DMV and DMV portable trailer at the Kapa‘a Armory, located at 4750 Kahau Road. The DMV portable trailer was moved from Lihu‘e to the Kapa‘a Armory on Monday. Staff at these locations can answer questions and accept certain documents for processing once systems are restored.

• Notice of Transfer: If you sold a vehicle, you can drop off your Notice of Transfer at the Kapa‘a 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 Hanapepe, Lihu‘e, Kapa‘a, and Princeville.

• Kaua‘i County residents can use the City and County of Honolulu’s online portal to request a replacement or duplicate copy of a valid Hawai‘i driver’s license at https://mydmv.hnl.info/hnldl/duplicates.

Kaua‘i farmers markets

Several farmers markets have reopened:

• Monday: Kukui Grove Pau Hana Market, 3 to 5:30 p.m., 3-2600 Kaumuali‘i Highway, Lihu‘e

• Tuesday: Coconut Marketplace, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 4-484 Kuhio Highway, Kapa‘a

• Wednesday: Kapa‘a Sunshine Market at Kapa‘a Beach Park, 3 to 4:30 p.m., 4-1604 Kuhio Highway, Kapa‘a; and Kaua‘i Culinary Market, 3:30 to 6 p.m., 2829 Ala Kalanikaumaka St., Po‘ipu

• Thursday: Coconut Marketplace, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 4-484 Kuhio Highway, Kapa‘a; and Hale Puna, 3 to 5 p.m., 9600 Kaumuali‘i Highway, Waimea

• Saturday: Grove Farm Market at Puhi, beginning at 9:30 a.m. until supplies last, 4411 Kikowaena St., Lihu‘e; and Anaina Hou Community Park Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 5-2723 Kuhio Highway, Kilauea

• Sunday: Anaina Hou Community Park Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 5-2723 Kuhio Highway, Kilauea

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