Windy conditions around the island caused trees to fall into power lines, breaking them and causing some power outages on Tuesday.
Tuesday afternoon, the Hawaii Electric Light Co. said crews were responding to reports of downed lines and trees on the lines as a result of the wind. The power company said customers were affected in several locations.
“We know what a hardship it is for our customers to be out of power,” said spokesperson Rhea Lee-Moku. “We sincerely apologize and want to assure them we are doing everything we can to safely restore service as quickly as possible.”
Lee-Moku estimated that about 14,000 customers were without power for at least some point during the day and the majority of outages were on the island’s east side.
Residents are advised to treat downed lines as energized and dangerous and avoid handling or moving any fallen or damaged utility equipment.
Anybody who sees a person injured by a downed line should not approach but call 911.
Residents should also unplug unnecessary, sensitive electronic equipment and use high-quality surge suppressors for appliances that remain plugged in. If generators are being used, appliances should be directly plugged into them using extension cords.