“About 2,400 HECO customers still without power-portions of HVNP reopen.”
Views expressed in this Hawaii Island news update are those of the reporters and correspondents.
Accessed on 18 March 2026, 2057 UTC.
Content and Source: “Hawaii Tribune-Herald.”
https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2026/03/17/hawaii-news/more-than-4000-still-without-power-on-the-big-island/
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Russ Roberts (https://hawaiinewsjournal.com).
Hawaii News »
UPDATE: About 2,400 HECO customers still without power; portions of HVNP reopen
UPDATED 10:45 a.m.
Power was restored to about 340 customers on Hawaii Island overnight, according to Hawaiian Electric.
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About 2,400 customers in various areas around the island remain without power in Kapoho, Royal Hawaiian Estates, Mountain View, Hawaiian Paradise Park, Orchid Isle Estates, Wright Road and various pocket outages in North and South Kona.
Damage assessments and tree clearing continue. In the hardest hit areas, repairs have been slowed by fallen trees and debris blocking roads. Tree-trimming crews have been working to clear trees in the Puna area since Sunday.
For residents in the lower Puna area that were impacted by the recent storm, distribution of ice, water and food will be conducted at the Billy Kenoi Sports Complex in Pahoa today from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., according to Hawaii County.
The Parks and Recreation Department reports all beach parks are open today except for Spencer Beach Park, which will remain closed.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park reopened some sections of the park this morning, but other areas remain closed until further notice due to major storm and volcanic impacts.
HVNP reopened: Crater Rim Drive West from the park entrance to Kilauea Military Camp; the Welcome Center; Volcano House, Volcano Art Center Gallery and most of Kilauea Military Camp; Crater Rim Drive East; Nahuku lava tube (but the lights are out, so bring a flashlight); and Chain of Craters Road to the coast.
These areas remain closed today:
— Mauna Loa Road beyond Kipukapuaulu to all use including pedestrians and bicyclists;
— Mauna Loa Summit, Mauna Loa Trail, Red Hill Cabin and Puʻuʻulaʻula;
— Kipukapuaulu;
— Crater Rim Drive West beyond Kilauea Military Camp to Uekahuna, including bicycles and pedestrians;
— Crater Rim Trail beyond Kilauea Military Camp to Uekahuna;
— Namakanipaio Campground and trail to Uekahuna;
— Hilina Pali Road and Kulanaokuaiki Campground.
The Kahuku Unit will reopen Thursday morning at 8 a.m.
PREVIOUSLY from Tuesday
About 3,700 Hawaiian Electric Company customers remained without power this morning, mostly in the Puna area.
In a 9:41 a.m. news release, HECO said crews will be working today in Hawaiian Beaches, Volcano and Kapoho.
In those areas, high winds from the recent Kona low storm toppled trees which damaged or broke up to 50 poles and downed multiple spans of power lines.
Tree trimmers have been working to remove trees from blocked roadways so crews can access the areas and make repairs.
Damage assessments began Monday in accessible areas of North Kona, South Point and Puna, according to HECO.
“Estimated restoration times may not be available until inspections are completed and any repairs are made before power can be safely restored,” HECO stated in the news release. “While weather conditions have improved, unstable trees and branches may fall and cause new outages.”
Meanwhile, Hawaii County Civil Defense is conducting its own damage assessments.
Residents and businesses are encouraged to report storm damage to help “officials and nonprofit partners better understand the extent of damage and its impact on the community.”
Please self-report by visiting http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/ or call Civil Defense at (808) 935-0031.
For those experiencing water outage, the county water spigots across Hawaii Island are available.
For a list of water spigot locations, please refer to the Civil Defense Hazard Map or DPW website at https://tinyurl.com/4fpyp8xz.
Due to state Department of Health Brown Water Advisory, all county beach parks from Spencer Beach Park in South Kohala to Kahalu‘u Beach Park in North Kona remain closed.
HECO customers can view its Storm Restoration Process at http://www.hawaiianelectric.com/safety-and-outages/storm-center/storm-restoration-process. The outage numbers represent a snapshot in time and are subject to change.
HECO also warns customers about misinformation circulating about filing claims after a power outage.
“After natural disasters, scammers often prey on those in the area, posing as claims representatives. Hawaiian Electric will never direct customers to submit payment to reconnect service lost during a storm,” the utility stated in the news release.
Report suspicious activity at hawaiianelectric.com/reportfraud.

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