Thousands ordered to evacuate as Hawaii hit by severe flash floods | Hawaii

Flash floods rising in northern Oahu and an impending dam failure triggered evacuation warnings in Hawaii on Friday as the state continues to battle a powerful storm this week.

The waters came rushing in around midnight, and videos on social media showed flooded streets and cars being swallowed by muddy floodwaters.

As heavy rains continue to hit Hawaii, Wahiawa dam By Friday morning, 1,500 gallons of water were flowing through the spillway on Oahu per second. Oahu Emergency Management warned that the dam “could fail or breach at any time.”

Honolulu officials issued an urgent message telling residents to leave the area downstream of the dam.

Emergency sirens blared along Oahu’s famed North Shore, where rising waters also damaged homes. Honolulu officials issued a “LEAVE NOW” evacuation order for Waialua and Haleiwa at 5:35 a.m. Friday: “Extremely hazardous flooding and Wahiawa dam high.”

It is not yet known how many residents can be evacuated as many roads are already flooded. A shelter set up at Waialua High School lost power early Friday morning and had to be evacuated.

North Shore state representative Amy Perruso said Honolulu Civil Beat said emergency services had difficulty reaching people and many residents’ vehicles were submerged. “There is no way out for a lot of people right now,” Perruso said.

Honolulu emergency services said early Friday: “If you are trapped, go to the top floor. Stay away from attics where there is no way to get to the roof.”

Authorities have been monitoring dam levels since last week’s heavy rain that dumped heavy rain across the state, leaving roads and homes flooded. 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 Hawaii national guards were mobilized 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.”

The flash flooding comes just days after a multi-day storm brought more than 12 inches of rain to areas in Hawaii.

Much of the state was under a flash flood warning, according to the National Weather Service, while northern Oahu was under a flash flood warning, particularly in Haleiwa and Waialua, which reported “widespread, life-threatening flash flooding.”

A shelter at the Waialua high and middle school was evacuated due to flooding, Honolulu spokesman Ian Scheuring said. Approximately 185 people and 50 pets taking shelter here are being taken to another evacuation center by buses.

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.”

The evacuation order covers more than 4,000 people, but the number could be higher, said Molly Pierce, a spokeswoman for Honolulu’s emergency management department.

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.

The state regulates 132 dams in Hawaii, most of which 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.