HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) — Pounding rain and damaging winds are challenging Hawaiian Electric. The utility says crews and contractors are working as quickly as possible to safely restore power to customers across the islands.

“A lot of the outages that we have seen have been due to vegetation, fallen trees, broken tree branches being blown into lines, things of that nature,” said HECO spokesman Darren Pai. “We have seen some damage from lightning strikes, so that’s always a concern, and of course, the rain, the flooding just makes it difficult to work in these conditions.”

As of 5 p.m., HECO said it had restored power to more than 186,000 customers, and about 114,000 customers are without power.

Customers without power

Oahu

About 70,000 customers, or 23% of total customers, are without power in various locations, the utility said.

East Honolulu relies on power lines that bring electricity to the area from Windward Oahu. The lines run along the base of the Koolau range near Waimanalo and cross over the ridgeline into East Honolulu. Two of the transmission lines were damaged, leaving one line to service the area. That remaining line was damaged Friday evening.

At around 11 a.m. Saturday, a helicopter was finally cleared to fly and begin inspection of the storm-damaged high-voltage transmission lines that carry power from Leeward Oahu over the Koolau ridgeline to Windward Oahu and east Honolulu.

Repairing damage resulting from the storm could take anywhere from hours to days or even longer, as crews will need to navigate mountainous terrain, the utility said.

“Our priority at midday on Oahu is repairing the transmission equipment that will bring the most customers back on the fastest, while always working safely,” said Jim Alberts, senior vice president and chief operations officer. “There are smaller outages within large outages, and we’ll circle back on the neighborhood-level work once we can get the large transmission lines back online.”

The outages are also impacting traffic lights. Drivers should treat impacted intersections as four-way stops.

View HECO’s Oahu outage map here.

Maui County

About 15,700 customers, or 22% of total customers, remain out in various areas, including Upcountry, South, Central and East Maui, as the weather intensified again this afternoon, HECO said.

The utility said damage assessments and potential repairs are being stalled due to flash flooding, downed trees, and road closures like the one caused by a massive sinkhole in South Maui.

View Maui’s outage map here.

Hawaii Island

About 28,300 customers, or 31% of total customers, are without power, mostly in Puna, North and South Kona, North Kohala, and South Hilo. The majority of the outages are in the Puna area, HECO said.

Power was restored to about 47,200 customers around the island Saturday, the utility said.

View Hawaii Island’s outage map here.

Why restoration can take time

The utility says response may be delayed as crews are not able to make repairs in dangerous weather conditions.

“We know people want to get their lights back on as quickly as possible, so we’re committed to stay on the job and keep working as long as it’s safe to do so,” Pai said.

“Depending upon the amount of damage and what the conditions are, it could take us hours. It could take us into the night, possibly even overnight in certain situations, depending upon the extent of any repairs that need to be done,” he added.

“In these kinds of storms, the damage is always not to the poles and the lines in your neighborhood. Sometimes there is damage to equipment that’s further up in the mountains. You can’t see it from most of the areas where we live and work, but our crews need to go up into those areas to make those repairs. So we will do the best that we can.”

Prepare for extended outages

In a worst-case scenario, HECO said damage to the electrical infrastructure could be extensive and could require extended repair work, and in extreme cases, require the company to rebuild parts of the system.

Flooding, fallen structures, debris, and other challenges can affect the scope and speed of power restoration, the utility said.

The utility does not, however, anticipate implementing its Public Safety Power Shutoff Program, despite “what phony alerts have been claiming online.”

Power preparedness tips

HECO recommends these emergency preparedness tips:

• Unplug electric appliances you may not need or use.
• Turn your refrigerator/freezer to the coldest setting; in the event of a power outage, food will keep fresh longer.
• Stock an ice chest with ice or frozen ice packs
• Store matches or a lighter in a waterproof container.
• Cover all windows and door openings with boards, shutters, or other shielding materials
• Wedge a dowel or a piece of broom handle into the track of sliding glass doors to secure them
• If you plan to use a portable generator after the storm, make sure it is placed in a well-ventilated area (outside the home), and be sure to carefully follow all instructions in the manufacturer’s manual

Click here for more tips.

HECO recommends following them online, and on their social media accounts on Twitter/X @HwnElectric, @mauielectric, and @hielectriclight, and on Facebook.

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