Hawaiian Electric to support recovery efforts on Kaua‘i

With most of the restoration work following Hurricanes Lowell and Lala completed on Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island, Hawaiian Electric is shifting focus to assist with recovery efforts on Kauaʻi, which is served by a separate utility.

After coordination discussions with Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative earlier this week, the company is preparing to deploy personnel, equipment and vehicles from Oʻahu, Maui County and Hawaiʻi Island. The first Hawaiian Electric team will arrive on Kauaʻi on Thursday to assist with damage assessments and to help determine what supplies and equipment is needed. Trucks and other equipment will arrive on a barge on Friday.

“Even though we were still completing repairs after Hurricane Lala, our system held up relatively well after Lowell with less damage, thanks to our resilience investments and coordination with state and county agencies to enable faster restoration,” said Jim Alberts, senior vice president and chief operations officer. “We’re now in the position to provide assistance to our neighbors on Kauaʻi to help accelerate their recovery.”

The last time Hawaiian Electric provided large-scale assistance to Kauaʻi was after Hurricane Iniki in 1992, which devastated the island’s electric grid.

Oʻahu restoration

Hawaiian Electric crews worked through last night to restore power to 1,060 Oʻahu customers who were without electricity as a result of powerful wind gusts and heavy rain from Hurricane Lowell. As of this morning, approximately 400 customers, mostly in Mākaha Valley and pockets in Honolulu and Windward areas, remain without power. Assessments and repairs in those areas are expected to be completed later today.

Hawaiʻi Island restoration

On Hawaiʻi Island, all customers who had been without electricity after Hurricane Lala swept away utility poles along with entire sections of roadways had power restored yesterday. With support from Southern California Edison crews through the Western Region Mutual Assistance Group, power lines were re-routed and new utility poles installed to help restore power to all remaining customers in Wood Valley.