Over 4,000 told to evacuate flooding in Hawaii as officials warn 120-year-old dam could fail
HONOLULU (AP) — Muddy floodwaters from heavy rains flooded streets, blew homes off their foundations, engulfed 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 120-year-old dam.
Emergency sirens blared along Oahu’s North Shore, where rising waters damaged homes in a community famous worldwide for surfing. At 5:35 a.m. Friday, Honolulu officials told residents to leave the area downstream of the Wahiawa dam, saying the dam “faces imminent risk of failure.”
Honolulu spokesman Ian Scheuring said no deaths or injuries were reported, but firefighters and lifeguards on jet skis were searching for people trapped in floodwaters.
“We are getting reports of homes being swept away,” he said. But the agency doesn’t know how many there are. The evacuation order required residents fleeing heavy traffic to carpool.
Authorities have been monitoring dam levels since a storm dumped heavy rain in the state last week, causing flooding. washed roads and houses. After the worst, a similar but weaker storm was forecast to bring more rain this weekend.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green said in his social media post that the Hawaii National Guard was activated to respond to the flood. “The storm, of course, is very strong right now, especially in the northern part of Oahu,” he said, describing chest-high floodwaters. “It will be a very touching day.”
According to the National Weather Service, much of the state was under a flood watch; There was a flash flood warning in northern Oahu; The report reported “widespread life-threatening flash flooding” that was “extremely dangerous,” especially in Haleiwa and Waialua.
A shelter at Waialua High and Middle School was evacuated due to flooding, Scheuring said. Approximately 185 people and 50 pets taking shelter here are being taken to another evacuation center by buses.
“Because of how saturated everything was last weekend, it didn’t take a lot of time and we got a lot,” he said, noting that 8 inches to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) of rain fell overnight in some areas north of Oahu.
The aging dam is a concern every time it rains, Waialua resident Kathleen Pahinui told The Associated Press in a telephone interview as she prepared to evacuate to a friend’s home on high ground.
“Just pray for us,” he said. “We understand more rain is coming.”
Honolulu Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Molly Pierce said the evacuation order covers more than 4,000 people, but the number could be higher.
Last week, authorities had issued a warning for the dam due to heavy rainfall, but as the rain decreased, the water level decreased.
“Water is actively flowing over the spillway right now,” he said.
Republican State Sen. Brenton Awa, who represents the North Shore, said the area, long popular with tourists and known for its big wave action, has seen a lot of development and newcomers in recent years. “This is not the North Shore I knew as a child,” he said, adding that he wondered how this unprecedented flood would further change the region.
He said he read reports that some people could not be evacuated due to flooding. “It’s an isolated community right now, disconnected,” he said.
State regulates 132 dams in HawaiiMost of them were built as part of irrigation systems for the sugarcane industry, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2019 infrastructure report.
In 2006, seven people lost their lives when the Ka Loko dam on the island of Kauai collapsed and water flowed downwards.
