Overnight power outage set for June 26 in North Kohala

Hawaiian Electric announces an overnight power outage that will affect customers in parts of North Kohala.

The outage is scheduled to start at about 9 p.m. on Thursday, June 26, and end at about 6 a.m. on Friday, June 27.

The affected communities are Hawi, Kapaau and Halaula, as well as customers along Kohala Mountain Road from mile markers 6-9 and 11-19.

The Kohala Ranch subdivision will not be affected.

There also will be partial road closures at various locations on Kohala Mountain Road and Akoni Pule Highway. Flagmen will provide onsite traffic control. Motorists are advised to drive with caution when approaching and passing the work zones.

This temporary outage is necessary to allow Hawaiian Electric personnel to safely perform maintenance and upgrades for reliability, resilience and wildfire safety.

The work is being performed overnight to minimize disruptions to customers.

Customers are advised to unplug sensitive equipment prior to the outage and to keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Those who depend on medication or life support equipment should make arrangements for a back-up power supply or transportation to a facility outside the affected area.

Information about how to prepare for a power outage is available on the company’s website: hawaiianelectric.com/prepare.

The Hawaii County Department of Water Supply recommends that residents store enough water for their use for the night.

DWS will set up a temporary spigot on a fire hydrant near the Ka‘auhuhu Transfer Station for the community’s use during the power outage.