Milestone reached as HECO restores power to Kaʻū Hospital after Hurricane Lala; 1,430 still without power

August 27, 2026, 2:30 PM HST

Listen to this Article
3 minutesLoading Audio... Article will play after ad...

HECO crews working on lines on Kahana Drive in Honokaʻa on Hawaiʻi Island after Hurricane Lala. PC: Hawaiian Electric

Hawaiian Electric continues to make progress restoring power across Hawaiʻi Island. Following repairs to a key transmission line serving the Kaʻū district, crews restored service to Pāhala Wednesday night and Kaʻū Hospital on Thursday.

Since Wednesday morning, crews restored service to approximately 1,490 customers and continue working in some of the island’s hardest hit areas. Approximately 1,430 Hawaiʻi Island customers remain without power.

Hawaiian Electric representatives will continue to be available at Vibrant Hawai‘i’s Point of Distribution sites at the Pāhala Community Center and the Kurtistown Samoan-English Seventh-Day Adventist Church to answer questions and provide restoration updates. Customers are encouraged to stop by for the latest information on outages, ongoing work in their area and estimated restoration timelines.

As crews replace storm-damaged power lines, Hawaiian Electric is also taking opportunities to strengthen the electric system where possible. In certain high wildfire risk areas, aluminum wire is being replaced with copper wire as part of repair and restoration work to improve system resilience.

Estimated restoration times are based on the best information available at the time. Times may be adjusted due to access issues, additional damage, unsafe conditions, or need for specialized equipment. The list provided focuses on larger or more complex outage areas that are estimated to take longer to fully restore. The purpose of this list is to enable customers to make plans based onestimated restoration times. Keep in mind:

This list does not represent every community or pocket of customers currently without power on Hawai‘i Island.
Some locations that experienced little storm damage may still be without power because of damage to lines and facilities that provide electricity to their area. These may be hidden from view or located in distant areas.

ESTIMATED RESTORATION TIMEFRAME	AREAS
Within 24 hours for most, extended outages for some	Restoration efforts will continue today in Hawaiian Acres, Leilani Estates, Nanawale Estates, Royal Hawaiian Estates, Fern Forest, Glenwood, Mountain View.Restoration efforts continue today in Kaloko Mauka to Holualoa and Ocean View.Restoration efforts continue today in Upper Ahualoa and lower Ahualoa, Maliu Ridge.Repair work on transmission lines to Pahala.
Beyond 48 hours, significant extended outage possible	Continue Maliu Ridge and Cane Haul Road.Kau: Pockets of Pahala Town.Puna: Continuing tomorrow in Fern Acres, Glenwood, Mountain View, Leilani Estates, and Nanawale Estates.Ahualoa: Crews are making progress in restoration, but some customers are asked to prepare for extended outages.Continue Kaloko Mauka to Holualoa.
5 – 7 days	Continue on pocket outages in Naalehu, Pahala, underground work in Punaluu.
By Sept. 8 for full restoration; many sooner	Kau including small pockets in Naalehu & Pahala, the underground work in Punaluu, and Kapapala and Wood Valley. Debris must be cleared from some areas ofNaalehu, Punaluu and Wood Valley before distribution lines can be rebuilt.

Outages should be reported to Hawaiian Electric’s Hawaiʻi Island Trouble Line at 1-855-304-9191 or report online.

Customers who experienced major flooding and have not had their power restored must ensure their main circuit breaker is off and contact an electrician to confirm their system is safe to re-energize once power is restored. If you have photovoltaic panels and battery energy storage systems installed on your home or business, consult your licensed solar contractor regarding normal and emergency operation procedures for your system.

Customers are encouraged to remain alert for potential utility imposters. Hawaiian Electric employees, contractors and mutual assistance personnel will carry and display identification badges. If identification cannot be provided, customers should verify the person’s affiliation by calling one of Hawaiian Electric’s Customer Call Centers: