9 p.m. update: Hawaiian Electric to work through the night to restore power

9 p.m. update: Hawaiian Electric to work through the night to restore power

• 26,100 customers without electricity across three counties
• Remaining customers plan for extended outages
• Crews restored majority of Kula, South Maui customers

Release Date: 3/15/2026

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HONOLULU, March 15, 2026 - Hundreds of Hawaiian Electric employees and contractors have been working non-stop to restore power to customers impacted by the destructive Kona Low storm. In many areas, toppled trees, branches and other debris must be cleared before damage assessments and repairs can begin. All customers are urged to stay prepared for potential extended outages.

As of 9 p.m.:

• Oahu: About 7,000 customers are without power (3% of customers on island) The H-3 Freeway was reopened in both directions shortly after 6 p.m. after crews completed repairs to a major transmission line that crosses over traffic.
• Maui County: This evening, crews restored power to a majority of South Maui customers. Crews also brought back online a majority of Kula customers between the Omaopio Road area to Lower Kula Highway. About 4,600 customers (6% of customers on Maui) are currently without power, with the majority in Upcountry and East Maui.
• Hawaii Island: About 14,500 customers (16% of customers) are without power in various areas around the island. Today, crews worked in Keaau, Kurtistown, Mountain View, Volcano, South Point, and North and South Kona. Two transmission lines also were repaired, and repairs to a third line are expected to be completed by tomorrow. Damage assessments were conducted in accessible areas in Kaloko, Holualoa, South Point, Volcano Village, Mauna Loa Estates, Royal Hawaiian Estates, and Nanawale Estates. In total, 30 damaged or broken poles were identified.

Customers can view current outages and report outages on the outage map at hawaiianelectric.com and on the mobile app. Estimated restoration times displayed on the outage maps are approximations. Inspections must be completed and any repairs made before power can be safely restored.

Customers experiencing a long duration power outage can find safety reminders and other tips in Hawaiian Electric's Handbook for Emergency Preparedness available on hawaiianelectric.com.

How we restore power following a storm

We don't restore power based on when customers report an outage, where customers live or the status of accounts. Rather, we begin with multiple locations and follow an overall plan that calls for restoring power to the largest number of customers safely and as quickly as possible.

• We start by repairing any damage to our power plants and the power lines that carry electricity from our plants to the local substations.
• We prioritize restoring power to critical facilities such as hospitals, water pumping sites, wastewater plants, military facilities, and airports.
• At the same time, we work to return service to the largest number of customers in the shortest amount of time.
• From here, we repair the infrastructure serving smaller groups and neighborhoods, converging on the hardest hit areas until every customer's power is restored.

For more information on our power restoration steps, visit hawaiianelectric.com/safety-and-outages/storm-center/storm-restoration-process.