Tropical Storm Olivia Causes Few Outages on Big Island

Hawai‘i Electric Light reported few outages due to Tropical Storm Olivia at 8 a.m. on Sept. 12, 2018.

Early this morning, about 100 customers in Honoka‘a experienced a power outage due to tree branches contacting power lines. Electric service has been restored to those customers.

Currently, there are no outages due to the storm.

The company’s business offices in Hilo and Kona are open today.

Hawai‘i Electric Light’s emergency response team continues to monitor Olivia and is prepared to respond to potential impacts from the storm.

Although the tropical storm warning was discontinued for Hawai‘i County, the island is under a Flash Flood Watch until Thursday evening. The combination of heavy rain and breezy conditions can topple trees, down power lines and cause outages.

The community is encouraged to keep safety top of mind. Downed power lines can be energized and dangerous. Stay at least 30 feet away and call Hawai‘i Electric Light at (808) 969-6999 to report downed or low-hanging power lines.

Find more electrical safety and emergency preparedness tips in HELCO’s Handbook for Emergency Preparedness available at HELCO business offices in Hilo and Kona and online.