About 14,400 Customers Experience Power Outage Following Earthquake

Hawai‘i Electric Light reported that about 14,400 customers experienced a power outage at 12:33 p.m. on May 4, 2018, following a 6.9 magnitude earthquake. Power was restored to all customers by 2:20 p.m.

“The strong earthquake caused a substation transformer to shake resulting in a fault,” said company spokesperson Rhea Lee-Moku. “Employees worked to reroute power to other transformers, restoring power.”

The company continues to work closely with Civil Defense to monitor and assess the lava situation. Localized power outages in Leilani Estates were caused by lava activity. Power equipment, including some poles and lines, were damaged by lava.

The company expects to have sufficient generation for this evening, despite the shutdown of independent power producer Puna Geothermal Venture. A generation shortfall is not expected.

For customers who plan to evacuate, the company recommends:

• Shut off electricity at the main breaker or switch;
• Unplug or turn off electric equipment and appliances;
• Call Customer Service at 969-6999 to request a service disconnect or transfer.

Hawai‘i Electric Light’s free “Handbook for Emergency Preparedness” provides detailed information on preparing your home and ‘ohana for emergency situations. The handbook is available in English, Cantonese, Ilocano, Korean, and Vietnamese and can be found at the company’s business offices, on its website or by calling (808) 327-0543.

Updates will be provided to the media and community and also posted on Hawai‘i Electric Light’s website.