Hawaiian Electric monitoring stormy weather forecast, urges customers to review emergency plans

Hawaiian Electric monitoring stormy weather forecast, urges customers to review emergency plans

Release Date: 8/20/2024

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HONOLULU, Aug. 20, 2024 - With the forecast of possible stormy weather this weekend and its potential impact to Hawaii, Hawaiian Electric advises its customers to review their emergency preparedness plans and be ready for possible outages.

Strong winds and flooding can damage utility equipment or blow trees and debris into power lines, which can lead to outages. When the weather improves, power lines must be inspected, possibly involving aerial inspections using helicopters and drones, and any damage must be repaired before service can be restored.

The company urges customers to review family and business emergency plans, ensure they have supplies they need on hand, and keep close watch on the development of the storm. Preparation and safety tips are available at hawaiianelectric.com/stormcenter. Detailed tips also may be found in our free Handbook for Emergency Preparedness, which can be downloaded from our website at hawaiianelectric.com/prepare. It is available in English, Cantonese, Ilocano, Korean, and Vietnamese languages, as well as a version for children.

For your safety
Safety is always Hawaiian Electric's top priority. We urge our customers to make it their top priority, too, and to take the following safety precautions, as appropriate:

• Check emergency equipment, such as flashlights, emergency generators, battery-operated (hand-crank or solar) radios, light sticks, and lanterns to be sure they are operational, and buy extra batteries.
• If someone in your home is dependent on electrically powered, life-sustaining medical equipment, check backup facilities. Plan where to go should the need for evacuation occurs. If you need to go to the hospital or other emergency shelter, remember to take your medical equipment and medications with you to the facility.
• If you plan to use a ladder while preparing your home for the storm, note the location of power lines before you begin. Be sure that ladders or scaffolds are far enough away so that you - and the ends of the tools you're using - stay at least 10 feet away from power lines. Before lowering a TV antennae or satellite dish, make sure to turn off and unplug the TV.
• If you plan to use a portable generator after the storm, make sure it is placed in a well-ventilated area outside the home, and be sure to carefully follow all instructions in the manufacturer's manual.
• Most counties will suspend trash and debris pickup before a storm. Please do not trim trees now, as high winds can turn cut branches into dangerous, flying debris. However, if you have already trimmed trees, please help to prevent outages by tying down or securing any of those loose branches or other debris.

How we prepare for storm season

• Prior to hurricane season, we conduct extensive training to prepare our employees to respond safely and as quickly as possible to storms and other emergencies.
• We secure mutual assistance agreements with other utilities outside the state in the event that additional restoration crews are needed. We also order backup emergency supplies and equipment, and plan staging sites across the island.
• We conduct outreach with federal, state and local agencies to ensure coordination of response efforts.
• We also prepare and strengthen our infrastructure throughout the year by:
  • Doing ongoing vegetation management
  • Inspecting and upgrading poles, power lines, transformers, and other equipment
  • Conducting ongoing maintenance of generating units