Thousands have been urged to evacuate as flooding in Hawaii is expected to cause widespread damage
As Hawaii endures its worst flooding in more than 20 years, officials are urging people in hard-hit areas to “MOVE NOW.” The warning early Saturday came after heavy rains fell on land that had already been battered by winter storms last week. More rain is expected over the weekend, officials said.
Muddy floodwaters have covered vast stretches of Oahu’s North Shore, a community world-renowned for its big waves. The raging waters lifted homes and cars and prompted evacuation orders for 5,500 people north of Honolulu. Authorities have warned that the 120-year-old dam could die.
The US National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning early Saturday, with light to moderate showers expected in some areas.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green said the cost of the storm could top $1 billion, including damage to airports, schools, roads, homes and the Maui Hospital in Kula.
“This is going to have a very negative effect on us as a state,” Green said at a press conference.
Most of the region was under a flash flood watch, with Haleiwa and Waialua on north Oahu under a flash flood warning, according to the National Weather Service.
“Residents of the Waialua area are strongly urged to LEAVE NOW,” an emergency alert said early Saturday morning. “The rest of the road out of Waialua is at high risk of failure if the rain continues.”
Green said his chief of staff spoke with the White House and received assurances that the islands would be supported by the organization.
Worst floods since 2004
No one was reported dead and no one was identified. More than 200 people have been rescued, officials said. About 10 people were taken to the hospital with hypothermia, he said.
Crews searched by air and water for people who were trapped – efforts that were hampered by people flying drones to get pictures of the flooding, said Ian Scheuring, a Honolulu spokesman.
The National Fire Department and the Honolulu Fire Department airlifted 72 children and adults attending a spring break youth camp at Oahu’s west coast retreat called Our Lady of Kea’au, according to city and camp officials. The camp is on a higher ground, but the authorities did not want to leave them there, said the mayor.
Green said the flooding was the worst in the state since the 2004 Manoa flood that washed away homes and the University of Hawaii library.
Dozens — if not hundreds — of homes were damaged Friday, but officials were unable to fully assess the damage, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said. About 5,500 people were under evacuation orders.
“There is no doubt that the damage that has been done so far has been a disaster,” he said.
Officials blame some of the damage on heavy rain that fell in a short period of time in a waterlogged area. Parts of Oahu received 20 to 30 inches of rain overnight. Kaala, the island’s highest mountain, received about 40 inches of rain in the past day, the National Weather Service said.
More rain expected: Blangiardi said 15 to 20 inches of rain will fall on Oahu over the next two to three days.
Winter storm systems known as “Kona lows,” with southerly or southwesterly winds that bring moisture-laden air, are responsible for the flooding in the past two weeks. The intensity and frequency of heavy rains in Hawaii has increased amid human-caused global warming, experts say.
The eyes of an aging dam
Officials have been keeping a close eye on the Wahiawa dam, which has been in danger for decades, saying it is “at risk of imminent failure.”
Water levels in the dam – about 28 kilometers northwest of Honolulu, on the island of Oahu – dropped late Friday but that could change if there is more rain.
As she prepares to move into a friend’s house in the highlands, Waialua resident Kathleen Pahinui told The Associated Press in a phone interview that the aging dam is a concern every time it rains.
“Just pray for us,” he said. “We understand that there is rain coming.”
The state said the Wahiawa dam is “overpowered,” and failure “will result in the loss of human life.”
The earthen dam was built in 1906 to increase sugar production for the Waialua Agricultural Company, which eventually became a subsidiary of the Dole Food Company. It was rebuilt after the collapse in 1921.
The state has sent Dole four dam deficiency notices since 2009, and five years ago fined the company $20,000 US for failing to address safety deficiencies in a timely manner, according to records.
After that, Dole proposed to donate the dam, reservoir and drainage system to the government in exchange for the government’s agreement to repair the spillway to meet and maintain safety standards at the dam.
The state passed a law in 2023 authorizing the acquisition of the dam. It also provided $5 million to purchase the spillway and $21 million to repair and expand it to meet dam safety requirements. But the transfer is not yet complete. The state board is expected to vote on the acquisition next week.
“The dam continues to operate as designed and there are no indications of damage,” Dole said in an emailed statement.
The state manages 132 dams across Hawaii, most of which were built as part of sugarcane irrigation projects, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2019 infrastructure report.
