Hawaiian Electric crews continue with damage assessments, repairs

Update: 2 p.m., Friday, Aug. 11

In continued coordination with State and County emergency response efforts, Hawaiian Electric crews today are continuing to make repairs in areas that are safe and accessible.

As part of this response effort, the company is currently focusing on:

• Upcountry: Restoring remaining pockets of customers, where an estimated 70 customers remain out of power.
• West Maui: Conducting additional damage assessments by helicopter and drone in the air and on the ground and starting restoration repairs in areas that are safe and accessible. Restoration will first focus on essential public services and facilities serving first responders and emergency response efforts in the areas of the Lahaina Civic Center, Māhinahina, Nāpili, and Kapalua. 
• Advising customers in West Maui without power to prepare for extended outages that could last several weeks in some areas.
• Reminding everyone to exercise caution as certain areas are brought back online, to stay away from downed power lines – at least 30 feet or more (at least two car lengths). If you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and dangerous. Report downed lines immediately by calling Hawaiian Electric’s Maui Trouble Line at 808-871-7777.
• Reminding if using a portable generator, carefully follow instructions in the manufacturer’s manual, for your safety and the safety of Hawaiian Electric employees working to restore electricity to the distribution system. Don’t plug household electrical outlets to the generator. Instead, plug your equipment or appliance directly into the generator. Make sure the wattage requirements of the appliance don’t exceed the capacity of your generator or extension cord. Also, be sure to provide adequate ventilation for exhaust and cooling. And store reserve fuel in a safe place away from the generator or any other equipment that might ignite the fuel; use containers designed for fuel storage.

“We understand electricity plays an essential role in our community’s recovery, and we are working as quickly as possible and prioritizing restoration in areas that our crews can safely access,” said Shayna Decker, Hawaiian Electric spokesperson. “We thank our customers for their patience and recognize the difficulty of enduring prolonged outages.”

Additional crews and resources from O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Island, Molokaʻi and Lāna‘i have been deployed to assist with massive response efforts, and the company’s Incident Management Team continues to coordinate closely with Hawai‘i’s Emergency Management Agency and other emergency response organizations. 

Updates are also available at hawaiianelectric.com/windstormresponse