Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative urges preparation for outages due to high winds

With high winds being forecasted into Wednesday, Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative urges its members to prepare for outages.

The ability for crews to restore power will depend on weather conditions. Outages may be lengthy if conditions are not safe for troubleshooters to respond. The following tips can help you prepare for an extended outage:

• Protect your appliances and sensitive equipment from power outages and surges that may occur by using surge protectors
• During a storm turn off and unplug all unnecessary appliances or equipment
• Keep a portable battery-powered radio and flashlights on hand with extra batteries
• Prepare coolers with ice to preserve food in the event of an extended outage
• In case of loss of power, when the power comes back on and is steady, gradually plug in your appliances

Members who do experience a power interruption are encouraged to verify the outage on the cooperative’s outage map: https://www.kiuc.coop/outage-center.

“One of the great advantages we have now is our advanced metering infrastructure or AMI,” said Brad Rockwell, chief of operations. “We know immediately when and where outages occur. That allows us to begin to map out a plan for restoration even before we can physically get out to inspect damage.”

There is no need for members to call the cooperative to report outages. But emergencies —such as downed power lines — should be reported. Members are advised to stay clear of downed lines or other emergencies and report the incident to 911.