Hawaii’s worst flooding in more than two decades sent officials into evacuations, dam-watch mode as rain persisted
Hawaii officials urged people in hard-hit areas to evacuate Saturday as the state faced its worst flooding in more than 20 years, after heavy rains fell on soil already saturated from a winter storm about a week earlier. Authorities said muddy floodwaters smothered large stretches of Oahu’s North Shore, lifting homes and cars and driving emergency orders for thousands, even as conditions briefly eased for some residents before additional rain arrived.
The National Weather Service said some parts of Oahu received between 8 and 12 inches of rain, and officials warned that more flooding impacts remained possible. Tina Stall, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Honolulu, said, “Don’t let your guard down just yet,” and added that “there’s still potential for more flooding impacts.”
Officials warned that a 120-year-old dam could fail, keeping pressure on emergency teams monitoring hazardous conditions. The Wahiawa dam—about 17 miles (28 kilometers) northwest of Honolulu—appeared to be less of a concern late Friday as water levels receded, but authorities said the levels rose again overnight with additional rain. Molly Pierce, a spokesperson for Oahu’s Department of Emergency Management, said officials were also watching the “breadth of hazardous conditions” across the island, including flooding in residential parts of Honolulu.
Pierce said flood risks can return even after skies clear, pointing to the saturation of ground during the storm cycle. She said, “We’re seeing the waters receding in a lot of places, but again with that saturation, just the smallest amount of water can bring those raging back up,” adding, “So even if it’s blue skies where you are, I think we all know in Hawaii that if rain is falling on the mountain, it’s coming to you soon enough.”
In Oahu’s North Shore, residents described the rapid rise of water and the difficulty of responding once floodwaters reached homes and properties. Racquel Achiu, a Waialua farmer who stayed to care for her livestock, said she found her goats in knee-high water Thursday night, and then said her family’s seven dogs were in danger of drowning in an elevated kennel an hour later. Achiu said her nephew and son-in-law rushed out into chest-high water to save the animals, describing what she saw as “My dogs’ heads were literally just sticking out of the water,” and saying, “There was so much water, I cannot even express.”
Evacuation orders were issued for thousands north of Honolulu as the flooding intensified, and authorities later lifted orders after water levels receded for parts of the island. Authorities said 5,500 people were ordered to evacuate north of Honolulu, and they said more than 200 people were rescued from rising waters. Officials also said no deaths were reported and that no one was unaccounted for as crews searched by air and by water for stranded people.
As emergency response continued, the National Guard and the Honolulu Fire Department airlifted 72 children and adults from a spring break youth camp at a retreat on Oahu’s west coast called Our Lady of Kea’au. City officials said the camp is on high ground, but the mayor said authorities did not want to leave the group there as conditions worsened.
On Maui, authorities raised the alert level in areas affected by flooding risks tied to retention basins. They upgraded an evacuation advisory to a warning for some parts of Lahaina, which is still reeling from a deadly 2023 wildfire, citing retention basins nearing capacity.
Gov. Josh Green said the storm’s cost could top $1 billion, including damage to airports, schools, roads, homes and a Maui hospital in Kula. He told reporters that the flooding was the state’s most serious since 2004, when homes and a University of Hawaii library were swamped, and he said his chief of staff spoke to the White House and received assurances of federal support.
Officials said the flooding’s severity reflected both the amount of rain and the condition of the ground afterward. They blamed some of the devastation on the sheer quantity of rainfall falling over a short period on saturated land, and they said the recent deluges were tied to winter storm systems known as “Kona lows” that bring moisture-laden air to the islands.
Attention has focused particularly on the Wahiawa dam, described by officials as vulnerable for decades and flagged as being “at risk of imminent failure.” The state said the dam has “high hazard potential” and that a failure “will result in probable loss of human life,” and it said it sent Dole four notices of deficiency about the dam since 2009 and fined the company $20,000 five years ago for failing to address safety deficiencies on time, according to records. A Dole statement said, “The dam continues to operate as designed with no indications of damage.”
Kathleen Pahinui said she evacuated her Waialua home early Friday because of the dam danger. She said Saturday, “Hopefully if we make it through today, then tomorrow will dawn bright and sunny,” and added, “And then everyone can start moving slowly back in, and we can start to resume normal and start cleaning up and helping our neighbors.”