Roof-tearing winds continue tomorrow

By Walter Wright
Advertiser Staff Writer

Very strong and gusty trade winds that tore roofs off several homes and cut electric power to thousands of O'ahu residents today are expected to continue tomorrow and abate somewhat Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.

A high wind advisory for sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph, with higher gusts, was posted at 10 a.m. and renewed at 4 p.m.

The gusts brought down a power line that was part of 138,000 volt transmission system in an open valley above Newtown at 10:30 a.m. today, starting a brush fire which was in turn fanned by high winds. Hawaiian Electric Company reported a series of failures at various locations around O'ahu.

About 20 homes in the Tantalus area lost power at 8 a.m. when a tree fell onto a power line there, HECO spokesman Fred Kobashikawa said.

At 12:13 p.m., about 1,500 homes and businesses in the Waialua area lost power, also because of a tree on a power line.

About 230 customers in the Diamond Head and Kapahulu areas near Waikiki lost power at 2:12 p.m. when a line went down apparently due to a mechanical failure, but their service was restored an hour later by switching to an alternate circuit.

Another 730 customers, these in the Waimanu Palisades area, lost power at 2:16 p.m. because of a downed tree. Within 15 minutes, about 1,500 customers in the Waipahu area lost power.

Fire department dispatchers said there were several reports of roofs blown off structures, primarily in the central O'ahu area.

Reach Walter Wright at wwright@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8054.