Hawaiian Electric monitoring wildfire risk conditions

With the National Weather Service upgrading its fire weather watch to a red flag warning for leeward areas of the Hawaiian Islands today, Nov. 15, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., Hawaiian Electric reports it stands ready with its Public Safety Power Shutoff program .

This does not mean power will be proactively or automatically turned off in communities with high exposure to wildfire risk during that period. Customers are urged to review their own emergency plans and prepare for the possibility of extended power outages, if it becomes necessary for public safety. Outages not related to the company’s PSPS program could occur due to other conditions.

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

Hawaiian Electric has activated its PSPS emergency response plan, which includes: 

• Closely monitoring weather
• Coordinating with state and county emergency response officials
• Urging customers to prepare for possible power outages and to make safety their top priority 

PSPS Process

• If power is shut off, it will remain off so long as hazardous weather conditions persist.
• When the weather improves, power lines must be inspected and any damage must be repaired before service can be restored. This may involve ground crews and aerial inspections using helicopters and drones.
• This process may result in extended outages lasting several hours, possibly even days depending on the location and extent of any damage.

How the public can prepare 

• Check emergency equipment such as flashlights, emergency generators, battery-operated (hand-crank or solar) radios, light sticks, and lanterns to be sure they are operational, and buy extra batteries. 
• Make sure you have a battery-powered radio on hand to listen for updates on theweather conditions and possible PSPS activation. 
• If someone in your home is dependent on electrically powered, life-sustaining medical equipment, check backup facilities. Plan where to go if an evacuation is ordered. If you need to go to the hospital or other emergency shelter, remember to take your medical equipment and medications with you to the facility. 
• If you plan to use a portable generator, make sure it is placed in a well-ventilated area outside the home, and be sure to carefully follow all instructions in the manufacturer’s manual. 
• Turn your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings. If power goes out, this will keep food fresher longer.  
• Turn off and unplug any unnecessary electrical equipment, especially sensitive electronics. If an outage occurs, this will prevent damage to the equipment from surges when power is restored. 
• Don’t venture out in the dark, because you might not see a downed power line that could be energized and dangerous; avoid standing water and debris. 
• If you see a downed power line, assume it is energized and dangerous. Stay at least 30 feet or more away from all power lines. Warn others to stay away. For emergency assistance call 911. For Hawaiian Electric, call our Trouble Line:
  • Oʻahu: 1-855-304-1212
  • Hawaiʻi: 808-969-6666
  • Maui: 808-871-7777
  • Molokaʻi: 1-877-871-8461 

How to stay informed 

Hawaiian Electric will provide updates frequently through the news media and the following mobile-friendly resources: 

• Hawaiian Electric website: hawaiianelectric.com 
• Twitter/X: @HwnElectric; @mauielectric; @hielectriclight
• Facebook: facebook.com/HawaiianElectric 
• Mobile app: free download available on Apple App and Google Play stores 

Emergency outage alerts are available from Hawaiian Electric at hawaiianelectric.com/psps.