Most of the islands 55,000 residents were without power as over 100 utility poles were destroyed.
They are used commonly in ship masts, radio masts, wind turbines, utility poles, fire service extension ladders used in church raises and tents.
Today, utility poles may hold much more than the uninsulated copper wire that they originally supported.
Loads typically carried are pipe, steel slabs, utility poles and lumber, though lumber and utility poles are increasingly being hauled by skeleton cars.
For a single wood utility pole structure, a pole is placed in the ground, then three crossarms extend from this, either staggered or all to one side.
When questioned, he declares that he is funding a new project to bring electricity to the village - a farce which is revealed when only one utility pole is raised.
At 2:00 in the morning, his station wagon skidded and crashed into a utility pole.
The truck sideswiped a string of mailboxes, flew 45 feet over an embankment, and came to rest against a utility pole in a ditch.
