Stray balloons blamed for power outage

As stray metallic balloons cut power to about 2,000 customers Saturday morning on the Waianae Coast, Hawaiian Electric Co. officials urged the public not to release the balloons this graduation season.

The blackout lasted from 2 to 3 a.m. in Maili, where crews removed the metallic balloons from the power lines near Maili Elementary, said HECO spokeswoman Sharon Higa.

HECO said the metallic balloons are coated with a material that conducts electricity and can create a short circuit when tangled in a power line. Last weekend, nearly 4,000 customers in Ewa Beach, Mapunapuna and Honolulu were affected by outages caused by metallic balloons.

HECO also provided these tips to reduce stray metallic balloons:

» Always add a heavy weight on the end of the balloon string. If you have several metallic balloons, each balloon should have its own weight. Do not remove the weight until the balloon is properly deflated.

» Use only nonmetallic ribbon or string.

» Never release metallic balloons into the sky.

If you see a metallic balloon or any object caught in a power line, please leave it alone and call Hawaiian Electric’s trouble line at 548-7961.

Floating sewer pipe pushed back into place

Crews have resubmerged a sewer pipe that floated to the surface of Waikiki’s Ala Wai Canal.

It’s been about two weeks since the section of pipe surfaced.

The city says an air bubble lifted one section of a 5,000 foot-long pipe. Pedestrians on the Kalakaua Avenue bridge had a clear view of the pipe sticking out of the water.

City spokeswoman Louise Kim McCoy says a contractor released air from the temporary bypass pipe Friday morning. Once air started to release, it took 30 to 40 minutes for the exposed portion of pipe to be resubmerged.

The city says the pipe wasn’t leaking and wasn’t a health risk.

The pipe was used after a 2006 sewer main break. Only a small amount of sewage goes through this bypass pipe.

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

Kauai officials seek FEMA aid after floods

Federal Emergency Management Agency officials are on Kauai to help agencies apply for federal aid after violent storms lashed the island in March.

Kauai officials are reporting $2 million in damage from flooding and landslides.

The Garden Island newspaper reports the aid will help public agencies and eligible nonprofits recover the cost of emergency work — including overtime pay — in the immediate wake of the disaster. It will also help pay for long-term projects.

Only county and state agencies and certain nonprofit agencies are eligible for the funds.

Agencies may apply for money to support repairs, restoration or replacement projects.