photo courtesy Hawaiian Electric

(BIVN) – About 650 customers in the Ahualoa and Kukuihaele area remain without power, and “will not have their service restored until after Christmas, possibly not until the middle of next week” due to impacts from the recent kona low storm, the Hawaiian Electric company reports.

The County of Hawaiʻi has opened a shelter at the Honokaʻa Sports Complex for residents in anticipation of the extended power outages in the area. 

In a news release shared early Thursday evening, the utility company said crews are going to work to restore power to the remote Hāmākua communities through the holiday weekend, and additional help from O‘ahu is arriving today.

From Hawaiian Electric:

Crews from Hilo, Waimea and Kona have been working around the clock to repair damage caused by gusty winds and fallen trees. Additional crews from O‘ahu will arrive later today to help with repairs. All transmission lines have been restored and are back in service.

Currently, about 650 customers in Ahualoa and the Waipio Valley Road-Honoka‘a area remain without power. Because of the extensive damage, including 38 fallen spans of power lines in the Waipio Valley Road-Honoka‘a area, these 650 customers will not have their service restored until after Christmas, possibly not until the middle of next week.

Hawaiian Electric crews will work through the holiday weekend, including Christmas, to replace poles, power lines and other equipment damaged by the storm.

Much of the damage is in remote areas that are difficult to access, and crews have had to hike off the main roads to make damage assessments and repairs. In addition, trees and tree branches continue to fall on lines after repairs are completed.

“We know this will disrupt holiday plans for families and we can only apologize and ask for customers’ understanding of the situation,” Hawaiian Electric spokesperson Kristen Okinaka said. “The safety of our crews and the public is our priority. Given the extent of the damage and the challenging terrain, everyone is working as quickly as they can and will continue working through the holiday weekend until the job is done.”

Today, the majority of crews are working in the Ahualoa area. Once all major power lines are restored, crews will begin restoring neighborhoods and individual service lines until all customers are restored. For more information on our power restoration steps, visit hawaiianelectric.com.

The County of Hawai‘i has opened an emergency shelter at the Honoka‘a Sports Complex for residents with storm damage or no power to their home.

Hawaiian Electric also offered some safety tips for the situation:

• Always treat downed power lines as energized and dangerous and stay at least 30 feet away (about two car lengths) from the lines.
• If using a portable generator, make sure it is placed in a well-ventilated area outside the home, and be sure to carefully follow all instructions in the manufacturer’s manual.
• If you’re unsure if a food is safe to eat following a prolonged power outage, remember that food that has become tainted by food poisoning bacteria cannot be detected by sight, smell, touch, or taste. As a general rule, when in doubt, throw it out. 

“Hawaiian Electric’s call center has been receiving a high volume of calls and asks the community to help keep phone lines open and report safety concerns such as downed or sparking lines,” the news release stated. “To report a safety concern or an outage outside of the Ahualoa and Waipio Valley-Honoka‘a areas, please call (808) 969-6666.”