Posted on: Thursday, January 16, 2003

Gusty weather causes brief power failures

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

Strong winds knocked down trees and caused power failures in much of the state yesterday, but there were no reports of serious property damage.

National Weather Service lead forecaster Roy Matsuda said the winds should be "mellowing down" today.

Matsuda said there were reports of gusts exceeding 50 mph in several areas. The strongest were reported at the summits of Haleakala on Maui, and Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island, as well as in the Puna District on the Big Island where a high-wind warning was in effect until midnight.

On O'ahu, gusts may have caused a brief power failure by blowing debris into overhead lines in Iwilei, said Fred Kobashikawa, a spokesman for Hawaiian Electric Co. Power to 50 customers was out from 7:22 to 8:19 a.m., but crews found nothing wrong with the lines, he said.

At 9:49 a.m., 1,600 customers lost power in Kane'ohe. About 10 a.m., 3,300 customers lost power from 'Aina Haina to Kahala Avenue. Another 2,500 customers lost power in Mililani Mauka.

A downed line on Kalaniiki Street in Hawai'i Kai left 20 customers without power from 1:17 to 7:30 p.m., Kobashikawa said. The power failure affected Kahala Mall, the Kahala Mandarin Oriental hotel, and Waialae Country Club, where the Sony Open pro-am was being held.

Although power was restored in all areas, Koba-shikawa said backup lines in mountainous areas were out of service and repair crews were unable to fly in because of the blustery conditions.

On the Big Island, Hawaiian Electric Light Co. said 6,300 customers in the Hawaiian Paradise Park and Kapoho and Waiakea Uka areas lost power about 2:20 p.m.

At 2:40 p.m., another 2,700 customers in Ainaloa and Hawaiian Beaches lost their electricity. By 3:04 p.m., power was restored to all but 1,500 customers in the Kapoho area.

Advertiser staff writer Mike Gordon contributed to this report.