Hawaii Kona Storm Live Update: 132,000 Without Power Statewide as High Wind Warning Runs Through Sunday
A powerful Kona low-pressure system has battered the Hawaiian Islands since Thursday — and this morning, tens of thousands of residents across Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii Island are waking up without electricity. The storm is not done yet. High wind warnings remain active through 6 a.m. Sunday HST.
HECO Power Outage Map: 132,000 Customers Affected
As of 8:30 p.m. Friday, Hawaiian Electric reported approximately 132,000 customers without power across Oahu, Maui County, and Hawaii Island. Some customers currently without power are expected to remain without electricity overnight.
About 123,000 customers are without power in various locations across Oahu. Customers in Hawaii Kai and portions of East Honolulu should prepare for the possibility of extended outages that may last overnight or longer — East Honolulu relies on power lines that bring electricity to the area from Windward Oahu.
The situation in East Honolulu is the most precarious in the state. Two of the three transmission lines running along the base of the Ko'olau range near Waimanalo and crossing into East Honolulu have been damaged — a single operating line now services the area. If the storm damages that remaining line, steep terrain and hazardous weather will delay repairs indefinitely.
Maui and Hawaii Island Outage Status
In Maui County, about 5,000 customers are without power in various areas, including Upcountry and East Maui. HECO is advising those customers to prepare for extended outages due to ongoing hazardous weather conditions and road closures preventing crews from making repairs.
On Hawaii Island, about 3,600 customers are without power, primarily in Puna, North and South Kona. About 660 customers in the Kaloko area and 90 customers in the Miloli'i area should plan to be without power overnight.
About 1,240 customers on Lanai had power restored after it went out earlier Friday.
What Is Causing the Damage
HECO spokesman Darren Pai was direct about the scope of the problem. "A lot of the outages that we have seen have been due to vegetation, fallen trees, broken tree branches being blown into lines," Pai said. "We have seen some damage from lightning strikes, and the rain and flooding just makes it difficult to work in these conditions."
A lightning strike destroyed a pole along an Oahu transmission line on Friday morning — a detail that illustrates how multiple failure modes are hitting the grid simultaneously.
"This is one of those situations where the numbers get to be very fluid as we restore power in one area, the rain keeps coming, and the wind keeps blowing," Pai said. "We'll be working nonstop until we can get everyone's lights back on."
Wind Warning, Flood Watch, and School Closures
A High Wind Warning remains in effect until 6 a.m. HST Sunday for Kauai County, Oahu, and Maui County. Southwest winds of 25 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph are expected — most dangerous in communities north and east of steep mountains.
Schools and universities on Oahu, Kauai, and Maui counties closed Friday due to severe weather. Residents should prepare for transportation disruptions and possible road closures as emergency shelters open across Oahu. Saturday school status is pending — check with your district directly.
HECO has confirmed it does not anticipate activating its Public Safety Power Shutoff Program, despite what the utility called "phony alerts" circulating online claiming otherwise.
How to Check the HECO Outage Map and Report Outages
Current outages can be tracked in real time at hawaiianelectric.com or through the Hawaiian Electric mobile app, available for Apple and Android. To report an outage or downed line, call HECO's 24-hour trouble line at 1-855-304-1212. For downed power lines or sparking equipment, call 911 and stay at least 30 feet away from any fallen lines.
Follow @HwnElectric on X for Oahu updates, @MauiElectric for Maui, and @HIElectricLight for Hawaii Island.
