Hawaii hit by severe flash flooding, evacuations ordered for thousands

Oahu’s Emergency Office Issues Evacuation Order for Waialua Residents

Residents in the Waialua area have been ordered to leave their homes immediately due to a high risk of road failures caused by heavy rainfall. The Oahu Department of Emergency Management has issued dire warnings, stating that the remaining access road out of Waialua is at risk of failure if rainfall continues.

Evacuation orders are currently in effect for nearly 5,500 people in the region north of Honolulu. So far, at least 200 people have been rescued from flooded streets and neighborhoods, with ten individuals hospitalized due to hypothermia. A youth camp was also evacuated, with 72 adults and children airlifted as a precaution.

The Hawaii National Guard is assisting with emergency efforts, with Governor Josh Green estimating that the damage could exceed $1 billion in costs. The governor has described the floodwaters in some areas as “chest-level.”

A 120-year-old dam in Wahiawa is also under concern, with officials warning of an imminent failure risk. The dam was identified as a high hazard potential structure by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources in 2022.

Water levels at the dam have risen from 24 to 25.6 meters, just 1.8 meters below its capacity. More rain is expected to hit the Hawaiian islands over the coming days, with Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi estimating that hundreds of homes have been affected by floodwaters. The full scope of the damage has yet to be assessed.

The state of Hawaii passed a law in 2023 to acquire the Wahiawa dam, but the transfer is not yet complete. Experts had previously warned about the dam’s potential for failure during flooding.

Source: Al Jazeera