33,000 without power on Kauai after hurricane damages electric grid
LĪHUʻE (HawaiiNewsNow) — Approximately 33,000 electric cooperative members remain without electricity Tuesday afternoon as utility crews begin assessing severe damage to Kauaʻi’s transmission and distribution grid caused overnight by Hurricane Lowell.
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Widespread grid damage reported
Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative (KIUC) reported that the storm affected approximately 90% of its membership. Cooperative crews are tasked with inspecting and repairing about 1,500 miles of lines, a process utility officials warned will be extensive and could result in outages lasting several days or longer in some areas.
At around 5 p.m., KIUC said 466 members in ‘Ele‘ele and Hanapēpē had power restored Tuesday.
“Our first priority is making sure conditions are safe for our crews, emergency responders and the public,” said KIUC President and Chief Executive Officer David Bissell. “Right now, we need to understand the extent of the damage and what repairs are necessary before we can provide reliable restoration estimates.”
Utility officials urged the public to stay well away from downed power lines and always assume that any downed line is energized. Downed lines and other electrical hazards should be reported to KIUC or emergency authorities.
The utility said Tuesday’s inspections focused on transmission lines and were completed using helicopter surveillance, drone examination and on-the-ground inspection.
“Our efforts the next two days will focus on completing these transmission system repairs,” said KIUC’s Chief of Operations, Brad Rockwell. “If all goes well, we can complete that work and shift to repairing distribution circuits by the end of this week, if not earlier.”
Equipment impacts
KIUC said that after preliminary inspections, distribution lines and associated equipment took the biggest hit from Hurricane Lowell, along with transmission lines and substations damaged.
At this time, KIUC said there appears to have been no significant damage to KIUC-owned generation units. It is still gathering information on non-KIUC-owned generation facilities.
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KIUC’s restoration Plan
KIUC said it recognizes the need to restore power to critical infrastructure as quickly as possible. KIUC will prioritize these facilities and high desnity population areas for initial distribution-level restoration efforts.
Other resources already on island, more coming
KIUC said before the storm, it brought additional contractt tree trimming crews and utility inspection personnel to the island. It also has executed an agreement with the Western Regional Mutual Assistance Agreement, and is in discussions to mobilize supplemental crews and equipment from Hawaii Electric to arrive on the island soon.
Daily updates
The utility said it will provide daily updates on progress and will share restoration plans and progress on a regular basis.
Updates will be provided online on KIUC’s website and social media.
“We know our members want to know when their power will be restored. However, this is a significant island-wide restoration effort, and we ask for our members’ patience as our crews work to restore power,” Bissell said.
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Island under water conservation notice
The extensive power outages have disabled municipal water pumps and wells across the island. The Kauaʻi Department of Water issued an islandwide conservation notice on Tuesday, requesting that all customers limit water consumption to essential needs to prevent system-wide pressure drops and service interruptions while repairs continue.
Water outages, low pressure, or main breaks can be reported to the Department of Water at (808) 245-5400, or visit kauaiwater.org.
Brown water advisory, ocean safety warnings
The state Department of Health has issued an islandwide brown water advisory for Kauaʻi following the storm. Runoff has contaminated coastal waters, drainage outlets, and harbors with sewage, animal waste, and chemical debris. Officials warn the public to stay out of all floodwaters and coastal ocean waters.
In addition, the Ocean Safety Bureau strongly advises against swimming, surfing, and all outdoor marine recreational activities until further notice.
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