Electricity service has been knocked out around the state amid the Kona storm today, affecting more than 17,000 customers mainly in several areas of Oahu but also on Maui and Lanai where major outages have also been reported by Hawaiian Electric.
After days of on-again, off-again rain, Hawaii is now also experiencing strong southerly winds as part of the Kona-low system. The National Weather Service predicts maximum sustained winds of up to 40 mph, with stronger gusts as high as 70 mph, especially in down-slope windward areas. Oahu, and Kauai and Maui counties are under a high wind warning until 6 a.m. Sunday.
The biggest reported outage for an area as of shortly after 11 a.m. was in Kailua and Waimanalo affecting about 3,000 customers.
In neighboring Windward Oahu communities, power was reported to be out for about 1,900 customers in Kaneohe and for about 740 customers between Waimanalo and Hawaii Kai.
Power also was out for about 1,400 customers from Kahaluu to Laie.
In Wahiawa, power was out for about 2,200 customers.
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In parts of urban Honolulu, about 1,800 customers from Waikiki to Kahala were without electricity, as were about 1,500 customers in Kalihi and surrounding areas.
West Oahu power outages affected about 1,700 customers in the Ewa, Kapolei and Makakilo communities. There were also about 400 customers without power in Makaha, Nanakuli and Waianae.
On the North Shore of Oahu, about 300 customers were without power in the Kawailoa, Pupukea and Sunset Beach neighborhoods.
Hawaiian Electric reported 13 outages on Maui, affecting about 1,500 customers in Kahului, Wailuku and West Maui. The utility company also said 100 customers on Lanai lost power.
There were no reported outages on Hawaii island shortly before noon, according to Hawaiian Electric.
On Kauai, where electricity is provided by the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, only 18 customers were reported to have been without power shortly before noon.
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