UPDATE: About 1,600 residents of Hawaiian Ocean View Estates remain without power after an outage that affected thousands of customers throughout the island.
Kristen Okinaka, spokeswoman for Hawaii Electric Light Company, said 42,000 customers were affected by the outage throughout the island. While not all areas of the island were affected by the outage, customers reported losing power from Hilo to Kona.
Most areas affected by the outage have been restored to power, with some areas being restored within minutes, and others taking longer, Okinaka said. Only about 1,600 Hawaiian Ocean View Estates remain without power.
Okinaka said the cause of the power outage is still being investigated, but added that it is likely related to the heavy weather caused by the remnants of tropical cyclone Barbara, which is approaching the island.
Okinaka also clarified that the outage did not feature a power surge, despite messaging from the Hawaii Police Department using that term.
UPDATE: Traffic signals are malfunctioning throughout the Big Island following a power surge that left large areas of the island without power.
The Hawaii Police Department reported that County resources are “working rapidly to remedy the situation,” but advised residents to drive with care and stay off the roads if possible.
Hawaii Electric Light Company has not confirmed the extent of the power outage, but unconfirmed reports on social media claimed power went out in areas across the island, from Hilo to Kona and Waikoloa, Waiakea, Keaau and Waimea in between. Several people also reported that the power has since returned to many of those areas.
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service has updated its high surf advisory to a high surf warning until Tuesday morning, warning of potentially very hazardous conditions and strong waves.
PREVIOUSLY: A flash flood watch remains in effect for the entire island through late tonight as the remains of tropical storm Barbara pass over the island.
Barbara was downgraded from a Category 4 hurricane to a tropical rainstorm last week, but the wind and rain associated with it may still pose a danger to Big Island residents. The National Weather Service warns that conditions are favorable for potentially life-threatening flash floods throughout the island.
The threat for flash floods is highest along windward slopes of the island, but will spread to leeward areas by noon.
The National Weather Service warns against attempting to cross fast-flowing water whether on vehicle or on foot. Should residents experience heavy rain or rising water, they should head to higher ground immediately.
A high surf advisory is also in effect for all east facing shores through Tuesday morning. Residents are advised to exercise caution near the shores.
Although the advisories are not currently scheduled to extend beyond Tuesday morning, showers are expected to continue throughout the week as the remnants of Barbara pass by.
The third Pacific tropical storm of the season, Cosme, has been downgraded to a post-tropical remnant some 2,000 miles east of Hilo.