Frustration grows as 10,000 plus Hawaiian Electric customers reach a week without power, answers

Nearly one week after Hurricane Lala caused widespread outages and significant damage to electric infrastructure, some customers have expressed frustration over a lack of electricity options and transparency.

On Friday, Hawaiian Electric reported that nearly all impacted customers on Hawai‘i Island would have power restored by Saturday, except for those in remote and severely damaged areas. There are currently about 11,290 customers without power, including 9,300 in Puna and 1,300 in Kaʻū, the company said.

A customer is an account/household. So it is unknown how many people are without electricity.

“At 7 days out, I was really hoping we would be in the ʻnearly all impacted customers on Hawaiʻi Island’ group since we aren’t remote or in heavily forested areas with lines and trees down all around us,” said Mountain View resident Brynna Smith. “I am struggling to get answers on what area our power comes from as to where the problem is at so I can know what time frames posted are actually realistic for us.”

“I appreciate the work, but information while customers wait would be really valuable.”

According to the utility, the areas most affected were Puna, Kaʻū, North Kona, and North Kohala. However, some residents of Hilo also have been without power throughout the week.

“The Waiākea Villas in Hilo have been without power since Aug. 15, and the management keeps giving us the runaround about when it will be turned back on,” resident Yvonne Bochert said. “I don’t know if that’s Hawaiian Electric or our apartment management.”

Although customers are billed only for the electricity they use, residents have had to spend more money replacing food, buying gas for generators, propane for cooking, and ice for perishable items.

“This is starting to cost us a fortune to buy ice every day and take-out food, and it doesn’t feel right since we aren’t in an overly damaged or isolated area,” Bochert said. “I just am frustrated that we don’t have a timeline or any direct communication from Hawaiian Electric.”

According to Bochert, the Waiākea Villas have a generator for residents to charge their phones, but that is the only assistance provided.

Hawaiian Electric reported that restoration in some heavily damaged areas has been slowed by fallen trees, debris, flooding, washed-out roads and limited access in rural areas. The majority of the outages were caused by vegetation.

Hawaiian Electric has released a timeline for power restoration and descriptions of issues affecting certain areas of the Big Island. The timeline is guided by the extent of damage and the time needed to rebuild the system.

In Puna, Hurricane Lala brought down trees, damaged roads, and transmission infrastructure. Initial damage assessments identified five broken poles, 56 downed lines and 68 instances of tree-related damage.

Restoration challenges include heavy tree damage and blocked access across Volcano, Glenwood, Royal Hawaiian Estates, Kulani, Pana‘ewa and Kea‘au. Crews must also rebuild the transmission line serving upper Puna.

The utility predicts that Puna customers will have power restored by this Sunday.

In a statement provided to Big Island Now, a spokesperson for Hawaiian Electric stated that the timeline is determined by the extent of damage and the time required to rebuild the system. However, the utility does not have any temporary energy options available for these areas.

“In Puna, we’ve been out of power for 7 days, which also means no running water,” said Puna resident Skyler Henry. “I waited in line for water for at least half an hour at Billy Kenoi Park today, only to be told they weren’t doing water that day, just food. We need information because this is not okay.”

Hawaiian Electric also expects to restore power to North Kona and North Kohala by this Sunday.

Severe damage to trees, poles and lines has created access challenges and extended restoration time for Kaloko Mauka, an upland North Kona community with steep roads, forested lots and dense vegetation near homes and utility corridors. Hawaiian Electric identified 16 broken poles, two downed lines and at least 21 incidents of tree-related damage.

In North Kohala, Hurricane Lala brought down trees and damaged poles and lines, especially near Māliu Ridge, complicating access, clearing and repairs. Initial assessments identified four broken poles, six downed lines and one instance of tree-related damage.

In Kaʻū, initial assessments identified at least 35 broken poles, 21 downed lines and seven tree-related impacts. This area is expected to take the longest to restore with Hawaiian Electric providing the date of Sept. 8, more than two weeks away.

Hurricane Lala caused catastrophic wind, flood, bridge and infrastructure damage, with lots of debris to be cleaned up across Kaʻū. This has made it necessary for extra coordination, road clearance, and safety checks before rebuilding and re-energizing lines, the utility said.

According to Hawaiian Electric, the transmission line from Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park toward South Point Road must be rebuilt. Washed-out bridges, debris and flooding are limiting crew access, and flood impacts on a cemetery require careful, culturally sensitive coordination.

While Kaʻū waits for power for the next 2 weeks, Hawaiʻi County is offering charging stations and hot showers at the Robert N. Herkes Gymnasium in Pāhala from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

As Tropical Storm Moke approaches the islands, Hawaiian Electric urges customers to review their emergency plans, ensure they have supplies on hand and to closely monitor weather updates. Preparation and safety tips are available online.  

For the latest information on power outages and estimated restoration times, visit the Hawaiian Electric website.