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A day after completing its two-week effort to restore power to upper Puna, Hawaii Electric Light Co. personnel continued to work with county crews and other agencies Sunday to clear debris left by Tropical Storm Iselle.
The only remaining customers without electricity are those who still need to repair damage to their property before service can be restored.
In a statement released on Saturday, HELCO President Jay Ignacio thanked the community for its patience during the restoration effort.
"We’re especially grateful for the outpouring of kindness, generosity and support our employees and partners from around the state received as they worked tirelessly to restore service to our community," Ignacio said.
HELCO also repeated its warning about scams by which someone claiming to be a HELCO representative attempts to get customers to divulge confidential personal information. The company has also received reports of individuals wearing safety vests and climbing fences to gain access to residences.
HELCO said it does not contact customers to request personal information, or direct customers to submit payments via options other than those listed on the back of their billing statement. The company also said it will not enter private property without first notifying the customer.
Employees and approved contractors are required to wear photo identification badges, and their vehicles are clearly marked.
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