Hawaiian Electric crews continue to restore electric service to Hawai‘i Island customers impacted by the recent Kona Low storm.

Crews from Hilo, Waimea and Kona have been working around the clock to repair damage caused by gusty winds and fallen trees. Additional crews from O‘ahu will also help with repairs. All transmission lines have been restored and are back in service.

Currently, approximately 650 customers in Ahualoa and the Waipio Valley Road-Honoka‘a area remain without power due to extensive damage, including 38 fallen spans of power lines. These customers will not have their service restored until after Christmas and possibly not until the middle of next week.

Hawaiian Electric crews will work through the holiday weekend, including Christmas, to replace poles, power lines and other equipment damaged by the storm.

Much of the damage is in remote areas that are difficult to access, and crews have had to hike off the main roads to make damage assessments and repairs. In addition, trees and tree branches continue to fall on lines after repairs are completed.

“We know this will disrupt holiday plans for families and we can only apologize and ask for customers’ understanding of the situation,” Hawaiian Electric spokesperson Kristen Okinaka said in a press release. Okinaka continued, “The safety of our crews and the public is our priority. Given the extent of the damage and the challenging terrain, everyone is working as quickly as they can and will continue working through the holiday weekend until the job is done.”

For more information on our power restoration steps, visit hawaiianelectric.com/restorationprocess.

The County of Hawai‘i has opened an emergency shelter at the Honoka‘a Sports Complex for residents with storm damage or no power to their home.

Hawaiian Electric’s call center has been receiving a high volume of calls and asks the community to help keep phone lines open and report safety concerns such as downed or sparking lines. To report a safety concern or an outage outside of the Ahualoa and Waipio Valley-Honoka‘a areas, customers can call (808) 969-6666.

Photo credit: Hawaiian Electric