WAILUKU, Maui — County and state crews worked yesterday to clear mud and debris from Kula Highway, whose closure isolated dozens of homes in Keokea, 'Ulupalakua and Kaupo. The highway was reopened late last night.

Officials have not completed an assessment of storm damage, but at least two homes were moved off their foundations and three others were damaged. No injuries were reported and there were no reports of anyone in dire circumstances and unable to get aid, according to county spokeswoman Mahina Martin.

Many residents in those remote areas already are living "off the grid" and are used to dealing with adverse conditions.

Half of Maui Electric Co.'s 3,200 customers in Kula got their power back yesterday afternoon, after losing the lights around 2 a.m. Wednesday when 12 poles and numerous distribution lines were brought down by wind and falling trees. MECO advised that problems accessing downed lines in certain areas may mean it will be a while before power is restored to the remaining Kula residents without electricity.

In South Maui, Wailea went back online at 3 p.m., with all but a few Kihei customers powered up by 5:30 p.m., MECO said. The utility's 20,000 customers in South Maui lost their electricity at 9:40 a.m. Wednesday when two transmission lines went down due to insulator failures and 11 poles that snapped at their bases from high winds.

Among those left in the dark in Kula was Mayor Charmaine Tavares, who marveled at the storm's ferocity and reach.

"I've never seen a storm hit so many places all at once ... where every single area in this county is impacted," Tavares said yesterday.

The impacts include widespread water outages in Kula due to broken water lines. Residents are out of water from Waiohuli to Kanaio.

WATER TANKERS SENT

At the Waiohuli Hawaiian Homestead, more than 150 feet of water pipeline was lost, Martin said. At other locations, breaks occurred in gulches where water is still flowing, and crews have been unable to make repairs.

Residents in affected areas may bring containers to fill at water tankers parked at five locations.

West Maui is experiencing water service disruptions as a result of clogged intake systems in the mountains.

Because the electrical outages affected Department of Water Supply pumps, wells and treatment facilities, county officials called for islandwide conservation to maintain safe water storage levels, especially in Wailuku Heights, Waikapu, the Kelawea and Lahainaluna area in Lahaina, and all of South Maui. Consumers should use water only as needed for health and safety.

County firefighters and police have been receiving help from 30 members of the 93rd Civil Support Team of the Hawai'i National Guard, who happened to be on Maui for training when the storm hit.

National Guard Lt. Col. Trey Johnson said troops visited about three dozens homes in the area between Kula Highway and Polipoli Road to check on residents' welfare and help authorities answer 911 calls. The National Guard helped a group of six people and their pet evacuate a home, and checked on homes in outlaying areas beyond the highway closure and at the Keokea and Waiohuli Hawaiian Homesteads.

Johnson said it appeared that a stream of mud, water and debris swept down from Polipoli across the highway into the homesteads.

NO MAJOR RUNOFF

Although there was speculation the mudslide may have originated in the Kula Forest Reserve, which experienced a 2,300-acre forest fire this year, state forestry personnel who checked accessible areas of the forest saw no evidence of major runoff, said John Cumming of the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

He said it appeared that upper elevations in the reserve received lighter rainfall than lower areas, which would bode well for the 50,000 tree seedlings newly planted in burned areas.

The foresty personnel came across numerous downed trees, Cumming said, and the forest and Polipoli Springs State Park remain closed.

The summit area of Haleakala National Park will be closed through sunrise today. Sustained winds around 80 mph were reported early Wednesday with gusts around 100 mph.