Power Outage Hits 8,000 Customers in East Oahu

Crews working to restore electricity after line issue over Koolau mountains

Apr. 14, 2026 at 12:19am

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A vast, atmospheric landscape painting depicting the Koolau mountains shrouded in heavy fog, with power lines and utility poles cutting across the foreground, conveying the overwhelming scale of the natural environment and the fragility of the electrical infrastructure.The Koolau mountains, which host critical power transmission lines, prove an imposing natural force as Hawaiian Electric works to restore electricity to thousands of customers.Kailua Today

More than 8,000 Hawaiian Electric customers in East Oahu have been without power since around 12:30 pm today, with outages affecting areas from Aina Haina to Kailua to Waimanalo. The cause is still under investigation, but crews are working to restore electricity, with an estimated restoration time between 2-3 pm.

Why it matters

Power outages can significantly disrupt daily life and operations, especially in densely populated areas like East Oahu. Identifying and resolving the root cause quickly is crucial to minimizing the impact on residents and businesses.

The details

The outage is tied to a power line running over the Koolau mountains, though the exact cause remains unknown. As of 2 pm, around 3,795 customers in Aina Haina, Hawaii Kai, and Koko Marina were affected, along with 1,790 in Kalama Valley, Koko Head, and Portlock. Another 2,500 customers in Maunawili, Enchanted Lake in Kailua, and Waimanalo also lost power. The outages are not related to Hawaiian Electric's Public Safety Power Shutoff program.

  • The power outage began around 12:30 pm today.
  • Restoration of power is estimated between 2-3 pm.

The players

Hawaiian Electric

The electric utility company serving Oahu, which is investigating the cause of the outage and working to restore power to affected customers.

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What’s next

Hawaiian Electric crews will continue working to identify and resolve the issue causing the power outage, with the goal of restoring electricity to all affected customers as soon as possible.

The takeaway

This power outage highlights the importance of a reliable electrical grid and the need for utilities to quickly respond to and resolve disruptions, especially in densely populated areas that can be significantly impacted by prolonged outages.