Nearly 5,900 North Hawaii residents were without power early Sunday evening because of a downed utility pole near Highway 19 and Highway 190.
Nearly 5,900 North Hawaii residents were without power early Sunday evening because of a downed utility pole near Highway 19 and Highway 190.
Lt. William “Gary” Souther with the South Kohala Police Station said high winds broke the pole in half, leaving wires hanging across the highway, shortly after 4 p.m. Police were able to divert traffic around the intersection until it reopened at 8:45 p.m. Souther said a portion of Lindsey Road, from the highway to the post office, remained closed through the night.
Power was interrupted to 5,888 customers from Waimea to Kawaihae. HELCO personnel were able to restore power to 2,163 customers about an hour after the incident, said HELCO Distribution Manager Roger Keller. The remaining customers had power restored at about 8 p.m. Crews continued to work through the night to replace the pole, he added.