4 p.m. update: Hawaiian Electric crews restore power to nearly 180,000 customers, continue damage assessments

4 p.m. update: Hawaiian Electric crews restore power to nearly 180,000 customers, continue damage assessments

Customers in parts of Hawaii Island asked to prepare for extended outages

- Approximately 191,800 customers are without power as of 2:30 p.m.
- Initial restoration work is focused on repairing transmission lines
- Help from mainland electric utilities anticipated to arrive Tuesday
- Oahu customers asked to conserve electricity today

Release Date: 8/16/2026

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HONOLULU, Aug. 16, 2026 - Hawaiian Electric crews have restored electricity to nearly 180,000 customers as they continue to work through the powerful winds and heavy rainfall caused by Tropical Storm Lala. As of 2:30 p.m., about 191,800 customers are without power. On Hawaii Island, some customers are being asked to prepare for extended outages in the hardest hit rural areas of the island.

Road closures, flooding, fallen trees and debris and continuing inclement weather have slowed the restoration process in some areas. Damage assessments by helicopter and drones are taking place on Hawaii Island and Maui today and on Oahu tomorrow.

As of 2:30 p.m.:

• Hawaii Island: About 45,900 customers remain without power, primarily in Puna, South Kohala and South Hilo. About 20,700 customers have been restored.
• Maui County: Approximately 15,800 remain without power in parts of West Maui, areas of Upcountry, South and Central Maui, Haiku, as well as areas of Lanai and Molokai. More than 17,900 customers have been restored.
• Oahu: About 130,100 remain without electricity, majority in parts of Leeward Oahu and Honolulu as well as Windward Oahu. We also are asking for customers, from Salt Lake to East Oahu, with electricity to practice energy conservation until 10 p.m. to ensure we have adequate generation. Nearly 141,000 customers have been restored.

Outage numbers represent a snapshot in time and change often as additional customers are restored and more outages occur, sometimes in the same area.

Our restoration process emphasizes safety and essential community services. Several main transmission lines have been impacted by the storm on Hawaii Island, Maui and Oahu. Transmission lines are the backbone of our power grid, connecting power plants and other generation sources to our communities, and must be repaired first. Some of these transmission lines cross remote terrain and mountainous areas and can span miles, making repairs challenging and lengthy. Crews may need to hike in when weather permits to access and repair these transmission lines.

Hawaiian Electric, which is part of the Western Region Mutual Assistance Group, has requested personnel from partner electric utilities throughout Western North America to help expedite post-storm restoration. Roughly 100 crew members are anticipated to arrive as early as Tuesday and could begin work as soon as Wednesday.

Customers can call our Trouble Lines to report any downed power lines, which should always be treated as energized and dangerous; or for emergency assistance call 911.

• Hawaii Island: 1-855-304-9191
• Maui County: 1-855-304-8181
• Oahu: 1-855-304-1212

As we are experiencing a high volume at our customer call center, information about current outages is available at the Hawaiian Electric website and mobile app (available on Apple App and Google Play stores) or on its social media accounts.

Please stay safe

Even when winds have subsided, conditions can be dangerous. Stay far away from downed power lines, flooding and debris; lines could be energized and dangerous. We urge customers in stormy and flooded areas to take the following safety precautions and visit hawaiianelectric.com/electricalsafety for more safety tips.