2,500 in Puna regain electricity

Hawaii Electric Light Co. has significantly reduced the number of people without power in Puna, restoring electricity to about 2,500 customers Thursday.

About 3,800 people remain without power, down from 6,300 Thursday, company officials said Friday, a week after Tropical Storm Iselle slammed into the district.

Still, the company continues to warn residents that although crews are making progress, some areas may be without electric service for three weeks or longer depending on the extent of the damage. The company said crews expect to continue making progress Friday in Nanawale Estates, Leilani Estates, Hawaiian Beaches, Hawaiian Paradise Park and portions of Upper Puna.

Big Isle warned of brown water

A week after Iselle slammed into Hawaii island, the state issued a brown water advisory from Cape Kumukahi lighthouse to Kalapana on Hawaii island, saying the tropical storm’s aftermath is still affecting the waters off Puna.

"Although the flood and stormwater runoff may not be brown, the public is advised to stay out of inland and coastal waters in the affected areas due to possible overflowing cesspools, sewer manholes, pesticides, animal fecal matter, dead animals, pathogens, chemicals and associated flood debris," said the advisory issued by the Department of Health’s Clean Water Branch late Thursday.

Storm weakens on way to isles

Karina reached hurricane status Thursday morning but has weakened significantly since then as it moved toward the central Pacific.

The National Hurricane Center said Friday that Tropical Storm Karina, 860 miles west-southwest of Baja California, Mexico, is headed west at 12 mph. Its maximum sustained winds weakened to 45 mph as of 5 p.m., down substantially from its Category 1 hurricane strength of 75 mph less than 24 hours earlier.

It was some 2,200 miles east of Hilo, moving slowly west. By Wednesday afternoon, it is forecast to be 1,300 miles east of Hilo.

The Central Pacific Hurricane Center is also issuing advisories for a weather system about 1,050 miles southeast of Hawaii island, which forecasters say has a 50 percent chance of forming into a tropical cyclone by 2 p.m. Sunday.