More than 6,000 HECO customers still without power; additional crews, equipment arrive
Additional Hawaiian Electric employees arrived Monday on Hawaii Island — including line-workers, engineering and other support teams from Maui and Oahu — to aid in restoration efforts and help speed recovery.
Read more Study’s alarming finding: At least 1 in 4 NFL players gets brain disease
Three newly arrived Oahu crews are working in the Kona area Monday. Seven additional Oahu crew members will arrive today in Hilo, according to HECO.
This is in addition to the 50 utility workers from Southern California Edison who are working in the Puna and Waimea areas.
Additional SCE equipment arrived Monday in Hilo by air shipment via military transport from March Air Reserve Base, including two bucket trucks, a companion crew truck and a cable reel trailer.
SCE has been providing supplemental support to HECO employees and contractors on Hawaii Island.
Read more DOT: Washed-out sections of Highway 11 in Ka‘u have been repaired
“In any other place, bringing in utility equipment just means driving it from a neighboring state. In Hawaii, it took the leadership of Gov. Josh Green and the collaboration of multiple agencies to make it happen to accelerate the recovery of Hawaii Island communities and to be ready for more storms in the coming weeks,” Jim Alberts, HECO senior vice president and chief operations officer, said in a statement.
Weather impacts from Tropical Storm Moke have slowed repair efforts, according to HECO.
About 6,390 Hawaii Island customers remained without power Monday.
Crews are continuing restoration work in some of the hardest-hit areas, including additional parts of Kaloko Mauka, Holualoa, Mountain View, Glenwood, Ahualoa, Hawaiian Beaches, Pa‘auilo Mauka, Kohala Mountain, Fern Forest, Hawaiian Shores, Tangerine Drive, Nanawale, Na‘alehu, Punalu‘u, Leilani Estates, Kalapana and Kapoho.
Read more PGA CEO talks LIV Golf, future postseason matchplay at Tour Championship