Trucks flown into Hilo from California to help Hawaiian Electric in power restoration

Additional trucks arrived in Hilo by air shipment through military transport from March Air Reserve Base in California to help Hawaiian Electric restore power to Hawai‘i Island after Hurricane Lala and Tropical Storm Moke.

Three Southern California Edison (SCE) trucks were flown over on the C-17 Globemaster as part of the state’s logistics and relief mission, Operation TREK808. Included in the shipment were two bucket trucks, a companion crew truck and a cable reel trailer.

Weather impacts from Tropical Storm Moke over the weekend have slowed repair efforts, according to a news release from the power company.

As of 8:30 a.m., about 6,390 Hawaiʻi Island customers remain without power. Crews are continuing restoration work in some of the hardest-hit areas after Hurricane Lala impacted the Big Island on Aug. 15, leaving homes and businesses destroyed as well as two people dead in Nā‘ālehu.

Customers impacted the most live in the following areas: Kaloko Mauka, Hōlualoa, Mountain View, Glenwood, Āhualoa, Hawaiian Beaches, Paʻauilo Mauka, Kohala Mountain, Fern Forest, Hawaiian Shores, Tangerine Drive, Nānāwale, Nāʻālehu, Punaluʻu, Leilani Estates, Kalapana, Kapoho and Kaʻū.

Hawaiian Electric estimates full power restoration, maybe sooner, for communities in Ka‘ū. This includes Waiʻōhinu, Nāʻālehu, Punaluʻu, Pāhala and Wood Valley.

Repair work on transmission lines to Pāhala is near completion, but further assessments are underway on distribution lines. Debris must be cleared from Naʻalehu, Waiʻōhinu, Punaluʻu and Wood Valley before distribution lines can be rebuilt, according to the power company.

Additional Hawaiian Electric employees arrived on Hawaiʻi Island Monday, including lineworkers, engineering and other support teams from Maui and Oʻahu, to aid in restoration efforts and help speed recovery.

Three newly arrived Oʻahu crews are working in the Kona area today. Seven additional Oʻahu crew members will arrive Tuesday in Hilo.

This is in addition to the 50 utility workers from Southern California Edison who are working in the Puna and Waimea areas.

SCE has been providing supplemental support to employees and contractors on Hawaiʻi Island through Hawaiian Electric’s partnership in the Western Region Mutual Assistance Group. SCE personnel have been working under the direction of Hawaiian Electric’s Hawaiʻi Island crews to support the restoration efforts in some of the hardest-hit areas that saw severe flash flooding and extreme winds during Hurricane Lala.

“In any other place, bringing in utility equipment just means driving it from a neighboring state. In Hawaiʻi, it took the leadership of Gov. Josh Green and the collaboration of multiple agencies to make it happen to accelerate the recovery of Hawaiʻi Island communities and to be ready for more storms in the coming weeks,” said Jim Alberts, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president and chief operations officer.

Hawaiian Electric did provide estimated restoration times based on the best information available at the time. Times may be adjusted due to access issues, additional damage, unsafe conditions, or need for specialized equipment.

Within 24 hours for most, extended outages for some:

• Lower Puna subdivisions
• Kona (Keauhou, South Kona, Upper Road Kona)
• Ocean View subdivision: While crews continue work in the area, some will remain without power as additional damage is being discovered during restoration efforts.
• Pa‘auilo Mauka: About half have been restored. Customers who remain without power will be out at least through Tuesday, with small pocket outages taking longer
• Kohala Mountain: About 1/3 of customers are restored. Restoration efforts will continue through Tuesday, with small pockets possibly taking longer.
• Royal Hawaiian Estates, Hawaiian Acres, Fern Forest, Volcano: Half of Volcano has been restored as work continues. Fern Forest and Royal Hawaiian remain out into Tuesday.

While some customers in the Kaloko mauka area of North Kona have been restored, Hawaiian Electric states there are some remaining customers who should prepare to be without power for the next 48 hours or longer because of the extensive pole repairs needed.

Power will remain out for the next five to seven days from the Orchid Isle Substation to Mountain View Post Office to Mountain View and Glenwood. Crews are onsite, but because of the extreme damage, customers should prepare for extended outages.

Crews are also working in Āhualoa.