A red flag warning issued Wednesday by the National Weather Service for leeward areas on all islands due to high wind and dry conditions expired at 5 p.m.
The warning alerted residents to dangerous fire weather conditions due to locally strong tradewinds and low relative humidity.
On Wednesday, Hawaiian Electric maintained a Public Safety Power Shutoff watch and was prepared to proactively shut off power in West Maui communities at high risk for wildfires due to high wind and dry conditions. But the potential power shutoff was deactivated following NWS’ cancellation of the red flag warning for all islands.
Hawaiian Electric said if necessary it will shut off power on other islands to address any immediate wildfire risks.
Maui County’s Emergency Management Agency was in partial activation and monitored the situation throughout the day, and the Lahaina Disaster Recovery weekly meeting scheduled for Wednesday was canceled.
Hawaiian Electric monitored conditions throughout Wednesday and did not shut off power to customers during the PSPS watch, and stated that any power outages that occurred were unrelated to the PSPS program.
Hawaiian Electric worked to restore power to about 150 customers in Upcountry Maui affected by a non-PSPS outage.
“We sincerely apologize for the disruption. We have activated our PSPS program as a last line of defense to protect lives and reduce the risk of a wildfire,” Jim Alberts, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president and chief operations officer, said in a statement. “We will continue to monitor conditions closely and restore power as soon as we can safely do so.”
The Hawaii island Department of Water Supply said it relies on Hawaiian Electric power to operate its wells and booster pumps to distribute water to its customers.
“Our understanding is that a PSPS power outage may last hours to days, depending on weather conditions, location and extent of damage,” Hawaii island DWS said in a statement.
The Department of Water Supply uses backup generators at a limited number of well sites, but the emergency generators cannot fully replicate Hawaiian Electric’s power grid. An extended power outage could reduce or deplete parts of DWS’ water systems, potentially leaving customers with low pressure or no water.
To prevent or delay this situation, DWS might need to restrict or ration potable water for essential uses, such as fire protection, drinking, cooking and personal hygiene. Nonessential water uses, including car washing and irrigation, should be suspended until both power and water systems are fully restored.
DWS urged its customers and those who depend on a continuous supply of DWS water to review their personal situations and prepare accordingly. Customers should have alternate sources of potable water and enough supply to meet their essential needs during a prolonged power outage that disrupts DWS service.
The PSPS process involves keeping power shut off as long as hazardous weather conditions persist.
Once the weather improves, power lines must be inspected, and any damage repaired before service can be restored. The inspection could require ground crews as well as aerial inspections using helicopters and drones.
As a result, outages could be extended, potentially lasting several hours or even days, depending on the location and severity of the damage.
Hawaiian Electric urged residents to stay at least 30 feet away from all power lines.
If residents must travel, Hawaiian Electric also asked them to help protect line workers by moving over from the lane nearest the workers or slowing down when approaching crews on the roadside assessing damages or making emergency repairs.
Power interruptions might cause traffic signals to stop working unexpectedly. Drivers should treat intersections with nonworking signals as four-way stops.
For those using portable generators, Hawaiian Electric recommended placing them in well-ventilated areas outside the home and following the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.
Additionally, residents should ensure that all electric appliances, particularly ovens and stoves, are turned off to prevent fires when power is restored.
