So far, our winter weather has been quite all over the place. It goes from heavy rainstorms to calm and cool then back to heavy rainstorms. This has been happening all over the country as we deal with chaotic winters forever affected by climate change. With that said, Hawaii is expected to go back to heavy rain and windstorms going into the weekend. Hawaii’s own, Hawaiian Electric, has issued warnings to residents and electricity users to prepare themselves for the storms that are approaching.

The National Weather Service has advised of a cold front heading to Hawaii this weekend.

The cold front is expected to bring “dramatic change in conditions.” These conditions are expected to last through the weekend with on and off rain starting in the west and moving to the east and further north.

The electric company warned that strong winds could cause trees to blow down and debris to blow around. These could easily then blow into overhead power lines and/or utility poles which would lead to outages. Any electrical equipment damaged to this extent would take a long time to repair, especially in a storm, so any outage that occurs could be long lasting. Furthermore, the rain could cause floods which could damage the underground cables and other equipment. If any damage happens to this equipment, repairs will take even longer.

In order to get ahead of the damage and risks, the warning from Hawaiian Electric offered tips and tricks for how to prepare.

First, they told residents to make sure they have plenty of food, water, and medical supplies to get them through the storm. It is important that food is nonperishable and does not have to rely on a refrigerator to stay edible and does not require electricity to be prepared. You also will want to be sure that all appliances are turned off, even if gas powered. Because of possible electrical equipment damage, storms also cause increased risk of wildfires. Additionally, they advised residents to be on the lookout for any downed powerlines and ask that anything gets reported as soon as possible. The electric company wants to especially warn people to not approve any downed powerlines that they come across. They advised that it is best to assume the line is “energized and dangerous.” The safest distance from these lines is at least 30 feet away.