Hawaiian Electric outage affects 2,610 in Kona near Kuakini Highway

About 2,610 Hawaiian Electric customers in Kona lost power near Kuakini Highway, a corridor in Kailua-Kona where even a few thousand outages can ripple through homes, storefronts, traffic signals and essential services. The utility said the outage was not tied to a public safety shutoff and that crews were still investigating the cause.

Hawaiian Electric’s Hawaii Island outage map listed the customer count and any estimated restoration time as approximate, with updates every 15 minutes. The company also asked customers to report outages and provide their exact location so crews could zero in on the problem faster. On Hawaii Island, customers can report outages at 1-855-304-9191, and the Kona customer service office is listed at (808) 329-3584.

The outage hit a part of North Kona that carries heavy daily traffic and business activity, making the loss of power more than a household inconvenience. On a road like Kuakini Highway, a disruption of this size can interrupt refrigeration, internet access, card processing and air conditioning while businesses wait for service to return. Hawaiian Electric, which serves about 95% of Hawaii’s 1.4 million residents across Oahu, Maui, Hawaii Island, Lanai and Molokai, said its outage map is the main source for current service disruptions on the island.

The utility also warned customers to stay away from any sparking equipment or downed lines and to call immediately if they see those hazards. That safety message has carried extra weight on Hawaii Island since the March 2026 Kona low, when about 20,400 customers were without power at one point across Puna, South Point and North and South Kona. During that storm response, crews repaired major transmission lines, assessed 30 damaged or broken poles and restored neighborhood-level service after prioritizing critical facilities such as hospitals and water systems.

For now, Hawaiian Electric had not identified what caused the Kuakini Highway outage, and it had not said which prevention steps, if any, might follow the investigation. The incident added another reminder of how quickly a localized fault in Kona can affect daily life on Hawaii Island, especially along one of Kailua-Kona’s busiest corridors.