Hawaiian Electric asks customers to remain prepared for extended outages

Hawaiian Electric is working to restore power to approximately 8,800 customers on across Oʻahu who were affected by severe thunderstorms and powerful winds. Hawaiian Electric crews and contractors have been deployed to address outages.

Customers across Oʻahu, Maui County and Hawaiʻi Island are asked to continue to plan for possible extended outages, potentially overnight, as the powerful storm system is expected to make its way across the island chain throughout the weekend.

Hawaiian Electric’s response may be delayed as crews will not be able to make repairs in dangerous weather conditions. Damage to the electrical infrastructure could be extensive. This damage could require extended repair work, and in extreme cases require HECO to rebuild parts of its system. Flooding, fallen structures, debris and other obstacles also can affect the scope and speed of power restoration. As an example, early this morning, a lightning strike destroyed a pole along an Oʻahu transmission line, which crews are continuing to repair.

Hawaiian Electric understands that people need to know when their power will be restored and is working to keep outage maps and social media updated with information as it becomes available. Because of the dynamic nature of the storm system, outage numbers represent a snapshot in time and are subject to change as additional customers are restored and more outages occur, sometimes in the same area.

Priorities for restoration emphasize safety and essential community services. Restoration also will take place in a manner designed to affect the greatest number of customers first.

Check outage maps at hawaiianelectric.com or on the mobile app for the latest outage information and estimated time of restoration. If you don’t see your outage on the map, you can also use this tool to report an outage in your neighborhood.

Please stay safe

• Even when winds have subsided, conditions can be dangerous. Customers are urged in stormy and flooded areas to take the following safety precautions:
  • Stay far away from downed power lines, flooding and debris; lines could be energized and dangerous.
  • If you must travel, please help protect line workers and crews when you see them on the roadside assessing damages or making emergency repairs. Move over from the lane nearest the workers or slow down until you can safely pass the work site.
  • Use extreme caution when driving. Power interruptions may cause traffic signals to stop working without warning. If you come to an intersection with a non-working traffic signal, treat it as a four-way stop. 

• If using 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.
• Ensure that all electric appliances, especially ovens and stoves, are turned off to prevent fires.
• Visit hawaiianelectric.com/electricalsafety for more safety tips.

If you are without power and see downed lines, this is the likely cause of the outage in your neighborhood. Please call the HECO Trouble Lines (listed below) to report any downed power lines, and we’ll send personnel out to inspect the damage. For your safety, always treat downed power lines as energized and dangerous, and stay at least 30 feet or more away from the lines. Customers should call 911 or the HECO Trouble Lines to report dangerous situations such as downed power lines or sparking electrical equipment. Help to keep phone lines open for emergencies.

Hawaiian Electric Trouble Lines

• Maui County: 1-855-304-8181
• Hawaiʻi Island: 1-855-304-9191
• Oʻahu: 1-855-304-1212