County of Maui urges residents to prepare for prolonged power and communications outages

The County of Maui is urging residents to take proactive steps tonight as prolonged power outages and intermittent cellular service are expected to continue in parts of Maui County overnight and into Monday, Sept. 28.

Hawaiian Electric recently announced that power outages in West Maui are expected to continue until approximately noon Monday. The Public Safety Power Shutoff, or PSPS, remains in effect in Upcountry Maui due to high winds, dry conditions and increased wildfire risk. Some Upcountry areas are also experiencing outages unrelated to the PSPS, and restoration efforts for those outages are ongoing.

Stay informed by radio:

With power outages potentially affecting cellular and internet service, residents who lose connectivity are encouraged to use a battery-powered or hand-crank radio to monitor local radio stations for emergency information and County updates.

Residents can monitor the following radio stations for the latest updates:

• KPOA – FM 92.9, FM 93.5
• KJKS – FM 99.3, FM 99.9
• KJMD – FM 107.1, FM 98.3
• KLHI – FM 101.7, FM 92.5
• KMVI – AM 900, FM 102.5
• KNUI – AM 550, FM 106.1

Accessing Emergency Services

Residents should continue to call 911 for emergencies. For West Maui residents, if cellular service is unavailable and you are unable to reach 911, go to Lahaina Police Station at 1850 Honoapi‘ilanai Highway to access emergency assistance and resources.

Residents are encouraged to check on family members, neighbors, kūpuna and others who may need assistance during an extended power or communications outage.

Charging and Connectivity Available

Charging stations and Starlink satellite internet connectivity are available at the following locations for residents affected by the outages:

• Lahaina Civic Center, 1840 Honoapiʻilani Highway, Lahaina.
• Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center meeting room, 91 Pukalani St., Pukalani.

Residents should bring their own charging cables and necessary adapters.

Cellular service may remain intermittent while power outages continue. Residents are encouraged to conserve their cellphone batteries, keep devices charged when possible and use text messaging when cellular networks are congested.

County emergency officials will continue to monitor conditions overnight and provide updates as additional information becomes available.

More Information: Maui Emergency Management Agency is in full activation. Sign up for Genasys Protect and MEMA alerts at www.mauicounty.gov/MEMA and follow County of Maui and MEMA on Facebook and Instagram.