UPDATE: Hawaiian Electric restores power to all customers on Big Island
As of Christmas Eve morning, Hawaiian Electric has completed power restoration to all customers impacted by the Kona Low storm, according to the company.
Crews completed repairs and restored power to 392 customers in ʻĀhualoa and 245 customers in the Waipiʻo Valley Road-Honoka‘a area on Friday.
Crews from Hawai‘i Island, O‘ahu and Maui continued to work through Friday night to complete repairs and restore power to the remaining customers in Waipiʻo Valley and pocket outages in the Honoka‘a area.
Customers who are still without power are asked to call the company’s Trouble Line at (808) 969-6666. Some customers must repair damage to their property before service can safely be restored.
Since early Monday, crews from Hilo, Waimea and Kona have been working around the clock to repair storm damage caused by gusty winds and fallen trees. Yesterday, crews from O‘ahu and Maui arrived to assist with restoration efforts.
“Crews are nearing completion of repairs earlier than expected with the help of 19 linemen from O‘ahu and Maui and the support of many employees working in the background,” said Kristen Okinaka, Hawaiian Electric spokesperson. “We sincerely thank our communities and our customers for their patience and understanding throughout this restoration process. We’re also grateful to Mayor Mitch Roth and the County of Hawai‘i employees who worked tirelessly to clear roadways so we could safely restore electric service before the holidays.”
The County of Hawai‘i plans to close the emergency shelter at the Honoka‘a Sports Complex at 7 p.m. today.