TL;DR: Hawaiian Electric said several hundred Hawaii Island customers were still without power on Aug. 29, 2026 after Hurricane Lala, with access problems, customer-owned equipment damage, and wiped-out poles and roads in Wood Valley blocking the final reconnections.

Hawaii Island Outage Recovery Narrows to Scattered Pockets

Hawaiian Electric reported on Aug. 29, 2026 that several hundred customers in scattered locations across Hawaii Island remained without electricity after Hurricane Lala, even after large-scale repairs restored service to the vast majority of affected households and businesses. According to the company's update titled Hawaiian Electric addressing "pocket" outages on Hawaii Island, crews from Hawaii Island, Oahu, Maui and Southern California Edison through the Western Region Mutual Assistance Group had made significant progress repairing utility infrastructure, but access problems and damage to customer-owned equipment were preventing reenergization for the remaining pockets.

The Aug. 29 update said some customers had not yet been reenergized because crews could not reach the equipment serving them, while others could not be safely reconnected because wiring, outlets, service equipment, or vegetation on individual service lines needed attention first. For households that experienced major flooding, the company said the main circuit breaker must remain off until a licensed electrician confirms the system can safely receive power.

The company also asked customers who were still without power to make contact if they had not checked in during the previous three days, with an exception for Wood Valley residents covered by a separate rebuilding plan. Those customers were asked to call the Trouble Line at 1-855-304-9191 or report the outage online, according to the same Hawaiian Electric release. The request was described as a safeguard to ensure no household was overlooked as work shifted from widespread restoration to house-by-house checks.

How the remaining outages compare to the peak

A day earlier, Hawaiian Electric reported that fewer than 400 customers remained without power and that approximately 99.4% of impacted customers on Hawaii Island had been restored since Hurricane Lala brought high winds and heavy rainfall to the state. That figure appeared in the company's Aug. 28 update titled Hawaiian Electric working to resolve remaining pocket outages.

That Aug. 28 report said crews had restored power to about 1,030 customers the previous day, including customers in Hawaiian Paradise Park. Prior progress had also been rapid. In an Aug. 27 update titled Another milestone reached as power returns to Kau Hospital, Hawaiian Electric said crews had restored service to approximately 1,490 customers since the previous morning, leaving about 1,430 customers without power at that time. The same report said repairs to a key transmission line serving the Kau district allowed crews to restore service to Pahala during the night and to Kau Hospital during the day.

The Hawaiian Electric releases describe a steady move from transmission and feeder restoration toward individual service lines. On Aug. 28, the company said most crews would focus on going neighborhood by neighborhood, checking for individual service-line outages and identifying repairs needed to bring more customers back online. Planned work areas that day included Hamakua, North and South Kohala, North and South Hilo, Puna, North and South Kona, and Kau.

Why some homes stay dark while neighbors have lights

One of the most difficult issues for households is seeing nearby homes regain electricity while their own home remains dark. Hawaiian Electric said this can happen because damage to the lines and facilities supplying an area may be hidden from view or located far away, even when local storm damage looks minor.

The Aug. 27 Kau Hospital update cautioned that its published restoration list focused on larger or more complex outage areas expected to take longer to restore fully. It said the list did not represent every community or pocket without power, and that customers in unlisted areas were still part of restoration work.

For customers who have power next door but not at their own address, an Aug. 26 Hawaiian Electric restoration report advised checking the main circuit breaker before reporting the outage. Outages were to be reported to the Hawaii Island Trouble Line at 1-855-304-9191 or through the company's online reporting system. That step matters for preparedness because an individual tripped or damaged breaker, flooded panel, or pulled service drop can keep one residence offline after the surrounding circuit is energized.

The company also said repairs to customer-owned electrical components, including wiring, outlets, or other equipment, and removal of vegetation from individual service lines may be required before service can be restored. Those items are generally the property owner's responsibility, which means households should inspect safely from the ground, avoid touching lines or flooded equipment, and arrange professional help when damage is suspected.

Wood Valley faces rebuild after roads and poles washed away

Wood Valley remains the clearest example of infrastructure that must be rebuilt rather than simply repaired. According to the Aug. 29 Hawaiian Electric update, floodwaters swept away portions of Wood Valley and Center roads along with more than a dozen utility poles in Wood Valley, leaving the area still without power.

Instead of attempting to rebuild in the washed-out corridor, Hawaiian Electric said it plans to reroute its lines and install new poles away from the damaged areas. The company said crews completed pre-work on Friday in preparation for the new poles and would continue that work through the weekend. Once the poles are ready, new power lines can be installed and customers can be reconnected to the grid. The company said work in Wood Valley would continue until power is restored.

The Wood Valley effort is part of a broader Kau-district repair campaign. On Aug. 28, Hawaiian Electric said several crews would work to complete repairs on a transmission line serving the Kau district and begin installing more than a dozen poles needed to restore power to Wood Valley. An Aug. 26 report had said debris must be cleared from some areas of Naalehu, Punaluu and Wood Valley before distribution lines could be rebuilt, and it listed Kau, including small pockets in Naalehu and Pahala, underground work in Punaluu, and Kapapala and Wood Valley with full restoration by Sept. 8 and many customers sooner.

For Wood Valley households, the message for self-reliance is direct: plan for an extended outage even as other districts return to normal. Keep refrigeration needs, medications, water, lighting, communications charging, and transportation fuel in mind while pole-setting and line construction continue.

Flooded homes must stay disconnected until checked

Hawaiian Electric repeated one safety instruction across its Hawaii Island updates for customers whose homes experienced major flooding and who had not yet had power restored. Those customers must ensure their main circuit breaker is off and contact a licensed electrician to confirm the system is safe to re-energize.

The Aug. 29 update added that the company's priority is careful and responsible reconnection to reduce risks including shock or fire. Hawaiian Electric Vice President of Energy Delivery Shari Ishikawa said, "The safety of our customers and employees is our highest priority." The statement emphasized that readiness to restore power does not override the need to confirm that customer property can receive electricity safely.

The company also pointed flooded-home customers to additional information and repair resources referenced in its release. For households, the practical sequence is to keep the main breaker off, avoid energizing wet panels or outlets, document visible damage for repair and insurance purposes, and use a licensed electrician rather than attempting internal electrical repairs.

Solar, batteries, and on-site questions

Homes and businesses with rooftop photovoltaic panels and battery energy storage received separate guidance. Hawaiian Electric said customers with those systems should consult a licensed solar contractor about normal and emergency operating procedures for their systems.

That step is important because solar and battery systems can behave differently during outages and restoration, and improper operation can create backfeed or safety hazards for residents and lineworkers. The company's Aug. 27 and Aug. 28 updates both included the instruction to contact a licensed solar contractor rather than changing system settings without advice.

Households using portable generators should also follow basic separation and ventilation practices, although Hawaiian Electric's pocket-outage releases did not publish generator wattage or runtime figures. General preparedness guidance from emergency agencies commonly calls for operating fuel-burning equipment outdoors and away from occupied spaces and for preventing connection to home wiring without proper transfer equipment.

Where to get updates and verify workers

Hawaiian Electric said representatives would continue to be available at Vibrant Hawaii's Point of Distribution site at the Pahala Community Center to answer questions and provide restoration updates. According to the Aug. 28 update, customers were encouraged to stop by for the latest information on outages, work in their area, and estimated restoration timelines. An Aug. 27 update listed two community resource locations for that day: the Pahala Community Center and the Kurtistown Samoan-English Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

The company also warned customers to remain alert for possible utility imposters. According to its Aug. 27 and Aug. 28 updates, Hawaiian Electric employees, contractors and mutual-assistance personnel are required to carry and display identification badges. If identification cannot be provided, customers should verify affiliation by calling a Customer Call Center in Hilo at (808) 969-6999, in Kona at (808) 329-3584, or in Waimea at (808) 885-4605.

Hawaiian Electric noted that estimated restoration times are based on the best information available at the time and may change because of access issues, additional damage, unsafe conditions, or the need for specialized equipment. For households planning around medical needs, work, school, food storage, or travel on damaged roads, the company's advice was to use the estimates for planning while expecting adjustments as field assessments continue.

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