Power Restored After Lightning Strikes Kahului Utility Pole

Power restored after lightning strike on Kaʻahumanu Avenue. Graphic by Wendy Osher/Maui Now.

By Wendy Osher

An estimated 871 electric customers lost power in Kahului when lightning struck a utility pole near HP Baldwin High School on Kaʻahumanu Avenue on Thursday afternoon, Sept. 3, 2015.

Officials with Maui Electric Company confirmed the incident saying the outage was reported at around 1 p.m., and power was restored by 1:20 p.m.

“With possible thunderstorms forecasted for Maui, or in the event of a power outage, Maui Electric advises to please unplug all unnecessary electric equipment and appliances until the storm has passed or until power is restored,” said company communication specialist Shayna Decker.

A flash flood watch remains in effect for the entire state through 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4, 2015.