Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative asks public to prepare for extended outages

The Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative asks the public to prepare for extended outages, as the electric company monitors the progress of Tropical Storm Hone and its potential impact to the island over the weekend.

“Due to current forecasted wind and wind gust speeds, it is possible that KIUC will place circuits west of Halfway Bridge into sensitive settings, which could lead to greater than normal outage activity.

“KIUC may also choose to de-energize certain circuits based on changing weather conditions. These actions would be taken to prevent wildfire ignition and could occur without prior notice,” the electric company said in a Friday afternoon statement.

KIUC asks members to review their home and business emergency preparedness plans, and act accordingly in preparation for extended outages.

The company says members can prepare for outages by:

• Protecting your appliances and sensitive equipment from power outages and surges that may occur because of bad weather by using surge protectors
• Turning off and unplugging all unnecessary appliances or equipment during a storm
• Keeping a portable battery-powered radio and flashlights on hand with extra batteries
• Ensuring you have adequate backup power for any essential medical equipment

KIUC asks the public to stay at least 30 feet from any utility pole lines on the ground, assume they are dangerous, and call 911.

More storm preparedness tips can be found on KIUC’s website. Guidance for wildfire preparedness can be found here. General emergency preparedness information can be found on the Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency’s website.