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How to Avoid Electricity-Related Damage During Hurricane Season

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On June 1, we entered the 2021 Central Pacific hurricane season, and it will continue through November 30.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting two to five tropical cyclones for the season. That compares to a normal season with a range of four to five tropical cyclones.

In preparation for future storms, the Hawaiian Electric Company spent $18 million in 2020 to clear trees and vegetation from around power lines.

Alan Yonan, a HECO spokesperson, shared advice on how to prevent electricity-related disasters during the hurricane season.

"You would want to make sure that if you’re going to leave your house to turn off your circuit breaker," he said. "If you were to go outside and see power lines down on the ground, you want to make sure you stay well away from them—at least 30 feet or about 2 car lengths is what we recommend."

"Also you would want to unplug all of your unnecessary electrical appliances during a power outage or a major storm so that when the power comes on, none of those pieces of equipment get damaged," he advised.

For more information about hurricane preparation, visit hawaiianelectric.com/prepare.

Zoe Dym was a news producer at Hawaiʻi Public Radio.
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