Kaua‘i Island Utility Cooperative members from Hanalei to Hāʻena are advised to prepare for extended periods without power if outages occur while Kuhio Highway remains closed.

“We’re working on contingency plans to be able to get our trucks to these areas if there are outages, however it will be challenging,” stated Chief of Operations Brad Rockwell. “Access via helicopter will be limited by weather conditions.”

“We’ll use all available means of communication to keep members informed about current outages, safety alerts, and timeframes for restoration, if known,” said Rockwell. The KIUC Facebook page will provide status reports, and the outage map on the homepage of the cooperative’s website is another resource for current information: www.kiuc.coop.

KIUC members can prepare themselves for the impacts of storms and possible power outages as follows:

• Protect your appliances and sensitive equipment from power outages and surges that may occur because of bad weather by using surge protectors.
• During a storm turn off and unplug all unnecessary appliances or equipment.
• Keep a portable battery-powered radio and flashlights on hand with extra batteries.
• In case of loss of power, when the power comes back on and is steady, gradually plug in your appliances.

In the event of high winds, objects can come into contact with overhead lines and electrical equipment causing power interruptions. Sometimes during high winds power lines are knocked down. If you see any lines from utility poles on the ground, assume that they are dangerous, stay clear and call 911.

General emergency preparedness information can be found on the Kauaʿi Emergency Management Agency’s website: www.kauai.gov/KEMA.