Flagging wind shuts off power in areas
A significant drop-off in wind power Sunday morning at the Kaheawa Wind farm above Maalaea knocked out power to portions of the island, according to Maui Electric Co.
The drop-off triggered a safety mechanism that shut down the windmills. A small number of customers in Lahaina, Waiehu, Kula and Pukalani lost power for about 20 minutes.
"When that happens, we need to start up our generating units to make up for the loss," said MECO spokeswoman Kau'i Awai-Dickson. "We do keep reserve units running to make up for small shortfalls, but this one was a lot of power all at once, so it took a little time to fill that void."
Power was restored by 8:45 a.m.
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Failed pump affects Maui Meadows
Maui Meadows residents were asked to conserve water Sunday afternoon after a water pump motor failed.
With the pump down, the Department of Water Supply said it could not meet demands for the area and asked residents to curtail water use for the remainder of the day.
The department expected that the pump would be repaired Sunday and that water levels in storage tanks would return to normal by today.
Customers in Kihei and Wailea were not affected, according to the utility.
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Sessions to detail Weekend College
The University of Hawaii Maui College will host two informational sessions this week on its Weekend College program.
The program is designed so students can earn an associate degree in liberal arts by attending classes Friday nights and Saturday mornings.
"The weekend schedule enables students to fulfill career and family responsibilities while concurrently completing a degree," the college said.
The informational sessions will be Wednesday and Friday at 5:30 p.m. in the Hookipa building conference room on campus.
Call 984-3226 for more information.
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High-wind warning for Haleakala
HONOLULU - A high-wind warning has been issued for Haleakala National Park above 6,000 feet through 6 p.m. today, according to the National Weather Service. A wind advisory will also be in effect from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. today for Maui and Molokai.
The warning states that strong winds already occurring at high elevations will increase above 45 mph into today. East winds will be 30 to 50 mph, with gusts up to 65 mph. The advisory states that winds of 15 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph, are expected.
Trade winds were expected to strengthen overnight and become very breezy and gusty today.
Strong winds can make driving difficult, especially in high-profile vehicles. Extreme caution is urged.
