Hawaiian Electric will cut power to about 600 homes on Molokai's east side for eight hours a day over six straight days, and residents say the short notice leaves them stuck.

• Power goes out from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., October 3 through October 8, while crews replace old poles and lines along an eight-mile stretch of highway.
• Families up to 20 miles east will be hit, and repeated thawing and refreezing threatens the food in their freezers.
• There is little backup: no cell service in much of the area, so parents cannot even phone kids left home alone all day.
• Ice vouchers and a single community Wi-Fi hub are on offer, but the hub's parking lot holds only about ten cars.
• Elderly residents who need refrigerated medicine are a particular worry.

Outlook: Residents want the work delayed and merged with a second phase of pole replacement planned for next year, but the utility says waiting means pushing the job to winter break.