‘Pretty scary’: Tropical Storm Hone lashes parts of Hawaii Island as a Cat 1 hurricane
(HONOLULU) - Tens of thousands of Hawaii Electric customers were without power across the state as Tropical Storm Hone moved through the islands over the weekend.
It upgraded to a Category 1 Hurricane late Saturday as it brushed the southern point of Hawaii Island on Sunday.
As of late Sunday evening, Hone was downgraded back to tropical storm as it pulled away from the islands.
While Hone wasn’t expected to make direct landfall, it brought heavy rains and powerful winds that closed roads and schools.
At 11:30 a.m. Sunday, roughly 18,000 HECO costumers were without power across the state, the majority of them on Hawaii Island. At 3:30 p.m., that number dropped to 12,000.
As of 6:45 a.m. Monday, HECO’s outage map shows about 2,379 customers are without power on Hawaii Island.
MORE: Hone downgraded to a tropical storm as it pulls away from the islands
Hawaii Island utility crews stretched alongside Highway 11 near Mountain View as crews battled the elements to repair downed power lines.
With no electricity, Volcano House Hotel started getting calls from customers, requesting to cancel reservations.
Down the road, Lava Rock Cafe lost power around 7 p.m. Saturday and relied on a generator is keeping things running.
“Try to have everything that everybody will need, like gas, as you can see. Everyone has been coming in for gas, ice...” said Pau Norris with Lava Rock Cafe.
On the island’s south side where Hone was closest, flooding turned Highway 11 in Waiohinu into a river.
“To see it in the daylight and see how high the water was coming and how quickly was coming. It was pretty scary,” said Moani Van-Alst Wright.
Meanwhile on the other islands, a landslide blocked the road on Maui’s Hana Highway near Upper Waikani Falls. In upcountry, the powerful winds ripped the roof off a home.
On the Garden isle, a boat ran aground on the west side. Some customers on Oahu also lost power.
For a current list of impacts from Hone, click here.
Hawaii Island residents can report damages from Hurricane Hone here or call (808) 935-0031.
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