Power Outage on Oahu's North Shore

Facts about safety-driven de-energization and timeline of events

Release Date: 3/21/2026

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FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2026 - De-energization

• At around 2:45 a.m.: Hawaiian Electric de-energized certain power lines in parts of Waialua at the request of emergency response officials. These lines were directly impacted by ongoing flooding, creating unsafe conditions as emergency personnel were evacuating area residents. We de-energized the impacted lines for the safety of the public.
• At 8:34 a.m.: The Honolulu Dept. of Emergency Management issued an alert about an imminent breach of the Wahiawa Dam and ordered an evacuation of the area. A flood from the dam would pose an urgent threat to our Waialua Substation, which feeds power to the North Shore. If flood waters hit the substation while it was still energized, it could create a significant public safety risk. In the interest of safety, Hawaiian Electric deenergized all lines feeding out of the Waialua Substation.
• Due to the configuration of the circuits that provide power to these communities, these outages affected customers outside of the flood evacuation areas.

SATURDAY, March 21, 2026 - Restoration

To restore power, we are following a strict process intended to protect the safety of the public and emergency responders:

For customers who are NOT in the North Shore flood evacuation area:

• As of 9 a.m. today, we are mobilizing for assessment in areas that are just outside the evacuation zone but are on the same circuit and had to be turned off for safety reasons. Once the Waialua Substation is cleared of any floodwater, debris or damage, and power lines serving the Waimea, Kuilima/Turtle Bay and Kawailoa areas pass safety inspection, power may be restored.

For customers who ARE IN the North Shore flood evacuation area:

• While an evacuation order is in place and there is ongoing severe weather, especially in situations where there may be standing water outside and inside of homes, restoration cannot take place.
• Once these hazardous conditions subside, and it is deemed safe to enter the area, we will inspect power lines and equipment for damage before lines are re-energized. Reenergizing damaged lines or equipment could create a safety hazard and endanger the public, first responders and our workers in the area.
• We are coordinating with state and county officials, including the Governor's office, Honolulu Fire Dept, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency and Honolulu Dept. of Emergency Management, and will conduct inspections in the evacuation zone when it is deemed safe to enter.
• We have crews standing by, so we can begin the inspection process as soon as it is safe to do so.