Thousands of travelers are still stuck trying to leave Kauai after Hurricane Lowell knocked out power, a bad situation for visitors, elderly passengers, and anyone with time-sensitive travel.

• Lines at Lihue Airport stretched out the length of the terminal as people waited to get through security.
• The airport ran on two backup generators since Tuesday, and one kept cutting out, forcing security agents to restart their equipment.
• Heat and no air conditioning left people overheated, with first responders handing out water and ambulances treating medical emergencies.
• Waits ran from three and a half hours to seven; U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda was stuck in line herself.
• Some travelers gave up entirely, and replacement tickets now cost more.

Outlook: Power is back on, but the backlog will take days to clear as officials shift to calling forward passengers with the soonest flights and moving people into shade.