restoration efforts after the powerful Kona Low
We have made strides in restoration efforts after the powerful Kona Low storm first struck the islands, and the safety of the public and our crews remain a top priority. Remaining restorations are lengthy as crews and contractors are working through challenges that include showers and thunderstorms, adding to already saturated grounds to make repairs to overhead and underground electrical infrastructure across Maui, Hawaiʻi Island and Oʻahu. In other areas with estimated extended restoration times, work also will include hiking in or being dropped in by helicopter to access rugged terrain.
“We want to assure customers that even if you don’t see us in your neighborhood, we’re working to restore power as quickly and safely as possible,” said Jim Alberts, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president and chief operations officer.
The storm-related outage status and estimated customer counts as of 7 p.m.:
- Maui County: Crews are still working to restore about 1,000 customers without power. About 240 of these customers are in East Maui and are experiencing extended outages that could last several days pending favorable weather conditions as crews must repair 20 damaged poles and multiple spans of downed lines.
- Hawaiʻi Island: About 3,200 customers who were impacted by the storm remain without power, mostly in the Puna area, where more than 50 damaged or broken poles and multiple spans of downed lines have been identified. Tree trimming crews continue to clear fallen trees and debris from roads so crews can access areas and make repairs.
- Oʻahu: There are currently about 580 customers out due to storm-related outages, which involve making repairs to individual service lines that provide power to neighborhoods. Crews continue to address these various pockets of storm-related outages and new outages.
Many of the outage areas had initial severe weather damage and are now experiencing post-storm effects. Such was the case on Maui, when Hawaiian Electric crews reported to a massive sinkhole in Kīhei on Saturday, March 14. Crews first de-energized the area so that crews could safely secure the area before removing the span of lines over the sinkhole and re-routing power to the impacted portion of Kīhei. Today, in a different area of Kīhei about 50 customers remain without power as crews work to remove mud and debris left in the wake of the flooding to access and repair underground facilities.
We want to remind customers that the storm restoration process is methodical to ensure the safety of the electric grid, crews and the public.
How we restore power:
Following a major storm, power can be restored anytime between several minutes to several days. This depends on several factors:
- The cause and severity of the damage to the electric utility’s system
- Weather conditions
- Accessibility of the damaged area
- Special parts needed to repair the damage
- In general, underground repairs take longer than repairs to overhead lines as they are inaccessible until flood waters recede or are pumped out and thick mud removed
After dangerous conditions have subsided, crews will be deployed to repair lines and restore power. Emergency facilities such as hospitals, water utility infrastructure, wastewater plants, military facilities, and the airports will have first priority for restoration after a storm.
As safety remains a top priority, Hawaiian Electric offers important reminders for those using portable generators: Generator Safety | Hawaiian Electric.
Mahalo,
Hawaiian Electric
