Guard engineers restore power to Kauaʻi dialysis center and animal shelter

Hurricane Lowell knocked out power across most of Kauaʻi on September 7, 2026. By the morning of September 8, 92% of the island was in the dark. The storm downed trees, power poles, and electrical lines. In response, the Hawaiʻi Air National Guard 154th Civil Engineer Squadron sent engineers to restore power to key community facilities.

The squadron’s first priority was a dialysis center in Līhuʻe. Patients there rely on consistent electricity for their treatments. Master Sgt. Patrick Morales, the electrical systems shop superintendent, led the effort. He noted that the mission felt personal because his family members also receive dialysis. "Dialysis treatments cannot simply be postponed without serious consequences," Morales said. "Making reliable electricity essential to patient care."

The temporary power setup allowed the center to operate safely. On September 14, the facility connected back to the commercial grid. Once that was complete, the 154th CES moved its generator to the Kauaʻi Humane Society. The shelter’s primary generator had failed during the storm. Staff Sgt. Kamakanilawaiali‘i Pickering-Stevens and his team repaired the power supply there.

The Humane Society houses more than 450 animals. Pickering-Stevens explained the stakes for the shelter’s staff. "No electricity for refrigeration to keep the medicine and vaccines cool means it would put those animals at risk," he said. The generator kept the vaccines cold and the facilities running.

The engineers typically provide power for military weapons systems. Staff Sgt. Jerahmeel Cabahit, an electrical power production journeyman, noted the difference in this deployment. "This time, we were using those same skills and equipment to directly support our own communities," Cabahit said. The team applied their technical expertise to civilian infrastructure instead of base operations.

The missions focused on keeping essential services running during the outage. Morales described the work as a way to serve neighbors during a crisis. "This mission reminded me that our work goes beyond electrical systems, it is about helping our neighbors," Morales said. The squadron completed the assignments as grid crews worked to restore island-wide service.