Power outage closes North Kohala schools

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Kohala Elementary, Kohala Middle and Kohala High schools were closed Thursday due to a power outage in North Hawaii, according to the state Department of Education.

More than 2,000 customers were without power between Waimea and North Kohala, including along Kohala Mountain Road, Hawaii Electric Light Co. said Thursday. The company said about 7 a.m. that power lines were down in the Hawi area, near Kynnersley Road.

By 8 a.m. power had been restored to 650 customers. Shortly before noon, the company reported repairs were complete and power was being restored to the remaining customers.

The cause of the outage is under investigation, according to spokeswoman Kristen Okinaka.

A wind advisory was in effect for the area at the time, according to the National Weather Service. Winds of 25-35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph were forecast.