In preparation for the potential impacts brought on by the current Mauna Loa eruption, Hawaiian Electric has activated its Incident Management Team and has been working closely with Hawai‘i County Civil Defense, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, and other agencies to monitor and evaluate the lava flows.
“We want to assure the community that we’re ready and able to respond,” said Kristen Okinaka, spokesperson for Hawaiian Electric in a press release. Okinaka continued, “Because of the unpredictable nature of the flows, we’re developing several plans to keep power on and will put into action the plan that best fits the situation. The safety of employees and community is our top priority.”
Plans include, but are not limited to the following:
- Rerouting power if lava impacts transmission lines on Saddle Road
- Completing critical maintenance work
- Ensuring sufficient fuel supply for company-owned facilities and vehicles
- Assessing alternate driving routes for outage response
- Staging areas for vehicles and equipment
The company will provide more specific information on how customers could be impacted if the flow nears its facilities.
Hawaiian Electric’s free “Handbook for Emergency Preparedness” is available in English, Cantonese, Ilocano, Korean, and Vietnamese. The handbook includes detailed information on preparing for emergency situations and is available on the Hawaiian Electric website and at public libraries, Ace Hardware, Ben Franklin, and Sunshine True Value Hardware. To request a handbook by U.S. mail, please call (808) 969-0137.