COUNTY OF KAUAI, Hawaii (KHON2) — Kauai was the first to get this winter storm and hundreds of homes are still without power as the system clears the west end of the state.
When KHON2 spoke to Elton Oshio with the Kauai Emergency Management Agency just before 7 a.m., Friday morning, they had not started their comprehensive assessment yet.
“Although we maintain a log of incidents, reported damage, and partner updates in our emergency operation center. Today with the wind having significantly decreased and rains backed down significantly as well, we’ll be able to do a more comprehensive outreach. And working with our partners, to have each of them help catalog any significant damage,” said Oshio.
“In all incidents and this one in particular too, there are some critical, over-arching elements mainly electrical power and roadway and highway infrastructure. In our incident right now water outages, power of course. And power greatly affects water. Because without the power or backup generators, you know water pumps don’t run and the tanks can’t be filled. So as KIUC goes out, and restores remaining customers with power, the water department goes out and either fires up more generators or get those tanks filled through commercial power getting restored,” explains Oshio.