Over 4,000 told to evacuate flooding in Hawaii as officials warn 120-year-old dam could fail
HONOLULU (AP) — Muddy floodwaters from severe rains inundated streets, swallowed vehicles and prompted evacuation orders for thousands of residents in towns north of Honolulu on Friday as officials warned of the possible failure of a a 120-year-old dam.
Honolulu officials told residents in an emergency message to leave the area downstream of Wahiawa dam, because it’s failing or expected to soon fail. The warning told residents to carpool because of heavy traffic.
Emergency sirens blared along Oahu’s famed North Shore, where rising waters also damaged homes. Honolulu officials issued a “LEAVE NOW” evacuation order at 5:35 a.m. Friday for Waialua and Haleiwa: “Extremely dangerous flooding and Wahiawa Dam is high.”
Officials have been watching dam levels since a storm last week dumped heavy rain across the state, which led to catastrophic flooding that washed away roads and homes. After the worst of it, a similar but weaker storm was forecast to bring more rain through this weekend.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said in a social media post that the Hawaii National Guard has been activated to respond to the flooding. “The storm of course is very severe right now, particularly on the northern part of Oahu,” he said, describing chest-high flood waters. “It’s going to be a very touch-and-go day.”
Most of the state was under a flood watch, with northern Oahu under a flash flood warning, according to the National Weather Service, which reported “widespread life-threatening flash flooding” particularly in Haleiwa and Waialua.
One shelter at Waialua High and Intermediate School is being evacuated because of flooding, said Ian Scheuring, a spokesperson for Honolulu. There were about 185 people and 50 pets who had sought shelter there but are being bussed to another evacuation center.
As she prepared to evacuate to a friend’s home on higher ground, 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,” she said. “We understand there’s more rain coming.”
Molly Pierce, spokesperson for the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management, said the evacuation order covers more than 4,000 people, though the number could be higher.
Officials issued a warning for the dam during heavy rain last week, but the water level receded as rain subsided.
“The water is actively running over the spillway right now,” she said.
The state regulates 132 dams across Hawaii, most of them built as part of irrigation systems for the sugar cane industry, according to a 2019 infrastructure report by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
In 2006, seven people were killed when the Ka Loko dam on the island of Kauai collapsed and water rushed downhill.