Hawaiʻi is getting federal money to make its electricity grid tougher, good news for residents tired of long outages — and it lands just as a tropical storm builds east of the islands.

• $18.5 million in federal funding will pay for grid upgrades on Maui, Hawaiʻi Island, and Oʻahu.
• The aim is fewer outages, faster repairs when power does go out, and the ability to shut off parts of the grid quickly to keep people safe.
• Many residents already bought solar generators after past outages dragged on for hours or days.
• Tropical Storm Lowel is churning about 1,500 miles east-southeast of Hilo and is expected to turn west and strengthen into a hurricane over the weekend.
• Separately, Cuisinart is recalling all its wire bristle grill brushes sold since 2009 after three people swallowed broken-off metal bristles and needed medical care.

Outlook: Warmer water and weaker wind shear should let Lowel grow into a hurricane in the coming days, testing a grid the new money has not yet fixed.