A series of power outages affected Oʻahu, interrupting electricity in neighborhoods in Central Oʻahu and along the windward coast. One major outage in Central Oʻahu, along with two additional outages on the windward side, caused power interruptions overnight in communities including Mililani Uka, Pearl City, Waikele, Waipahu, Kaaawa, Kahaluu, Hauula, and Punaluu.
The Central Oʻahu outage began around 1:46 a.m. HST, initially affecting approximately 1,560 customers in Mililani Uka, Pearl City, Waikele, and Waipahu. Two earlier windward outages occurred first. The first, near Kaaawa and Kahaluu, started around 11:36 p.m. HST and impacted about 740 customers, while the second, near Hauula and Punaluu, began around 11:54 p.m., affecting roughly 575 customers. Both windward outages were caused by lightning. According to KITV, power for the windward outages was expected to be restored by around 5:00 a.m., while the cause and restoration timeline for the Central Oʻahu outage were not yet determined.
On the Hawaiian Electric Oʻahu outage map, customers are instructed to report power losses by calling the trouble line at 1-855-304-1212 or by using the company’s online map or mobile app. The utility states that when multiple outages occur simultaneously, updates to the map may be delayed as crews prioritize field work and safety checks before restoring power. Hawaiian Electric also advises the public to stay clear of downed wires and to call 911 immediately if anyone is in danger.
Why windward lines often go dark
Windward communities such as Hauula and Punaluu are located at the far end of long transmission lines, which can increase their exposure to weather-related events, including lightning strikes. A program brief from the U.S. Department of Energy states that geographically isolated communities on Oʻahu face reliability challenges because power must travel long distances over exposed infrastructure, which can make repairing storm-related damage more difficult and time-consuming. These factors contributed to crews focusing on the windward corridors during last night’s outages.
What residents should expect
Restoration crews generally isolate damaged equipment, complete repairs, and then bring circuits back online in stages. This process can take several hours, particularly if access is limited or multiple parts of a line are affected by storms. Hawaiian Electric says that crews prioritize critical facilities and conduct safety inspections before restoring wider service. Residents who rely on electrically powered medical equipment are advised to have backup power or an alternate location available and to coordinate contingency plans with their health care providers…