Hawaiian Electric continues to monitor Public Safety Power Shutoff areas in parts of Maui and Hawaiʻi Island

Hawaiian Electric teams continue to monitor weather conditions that may call for a Public Safety Power Shutoff in parts of Maui and Hawai‘i Island this week. 

In determining whether to implement a Public Safety Power Shutoff, Hawaiian Electric requires the following criteria to be met concurrently: persistent drought conditions, wind gusts 45 mph and higher, and relative humidity below 45%. 

If necessary, Hawaiian Electric may implement its Public Safety Power Shutoff program within the next 12 to 24 hours and proactively shut off power in communities with high exposure to wildfire risk. Customers in these areas are urged to initiate their own emergency plans and prepare for the possibility of extended power outages. Any current outages are not related to the company’s PSPS program. 

Parts of Hawaiʻi Island and Maui are still experiencing strong gusts, with the strongest gusts expected in West Maui and north Kohala, especially along leeward slopes and valleys where winds tend to accelerate as they move downhill. Hawaiian Electric will continue to monitor forecasts as winds are expected to increase in the next few days.

Relative humidity levels, particularly in the South Kohala area on Hawaiʻi Island, decreased on Monday, often dipping below 45%. Wind gusts were up to 50 mph at times, but did not occur concurrently with low relative humidity levels.

At Hawaiian Electric, the PSPS emergency response plan includes: 

• Closely monitoring weather
• Coordinating with state and county emergency response officials
• Pre-positioning Hawaiian Electric crews and their equipment at strategic locations to speed restoration
• Urging customers to prepare for possible power outages with safety as their main focus 

For more information and maps of areas that have high wildfire risk, go to hawaiianelectric.com/PSPS or call Hawaiian Electric’s PSPS toll-free hotline at 1-844-483-8666.