Honolulu Officials Warn Wahiawa Dam May Fail As Thousands Evacuate Hawaii

Thousands of Hawaii residents were ordered to evacuate early Friday morning as Honolulu officials warned that the 120-year-old Wahiawa Dam was at imminent risk of failure.

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The evacuation order covered more than 4,000 residents in Waialua and Haleiwa communities on Oahu's North Shore.

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Officials issued a 'LEAVE NOW' directive at 5:35 a.m. citing 'extremely dangerous flooding and Wahiawa Dam is high.'

Emergency sirens blared throughout the area as rising floodwaters inundated streets and damaged homes.

The situation was particularly dangerous for residents downstream of the failing dam structure.

The Wahiawa Dam, constructed in 1906 for sugar cane irrigation, has been identified as having 'high hazard potential.'

Officials warn that a failure would 'result in probable loss of human life' due to the 2.6 billion gallons of water it can hold.

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Water was actively running over the dam's spillway as it experienced severe stress from ongoing heavy rainfall.

Dole Food Company, which owned the dam, claimed it operates as designed with no damage, though state officials have warned since 2009 that $20 million in upgrades were needed.

Ownership transfer to the state remains incomplete despite ongoing safety concerns.

This vulnerability reflects broader infrastructure issues across Hawaii's 132 regulated dams, most built decades ago for irrigation.

The flooding was worsened by a second 'Kona low' storm system bringing additional rain to already saturated ground.

“HONOLULU -- The muddy floodwaters from the heavy rains flooded streets, submerged vehicles, and prompted evacuation orders on Friday for thousands of residents in communities north of Honolulu, as authorities warned of the possible breach of a 120-year-old dam”

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Hawaii Governor Josh Green described the situation as 'very serious' with conditions on Oahu's North Shore being particularly dire.

Rainfall rates temporarily decreased but significant runoff continued to produce dangerous high water levels.

Meteorologists warned additional heavy rain bands were expected through Sunday, fueled by Kona low moisture.

The National Weather Service reported 'widespread life-threatening flash flooding' that was 'extremely dangerous.'

Some areas received 8 to 12 inches of rain overnight, with Kaala peak getting nearly 16 inches in the past day.

Emergency response efforts were hampered by severe flooding conditions.

Hawaii National Guard troops were activated to assist in rescue operations.

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Firefighters and lifeguards used jet skis to search for stranded residents.

Their efforts were complicated by people flying personal drones to capture flooding images.

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi reported dozens, potentially hundreds, of homes damaged.

An emergency shelter at Waialua High had to be evacuated due to flooding, relocating 185 people and 50 pets.

Traffic congestion was a major concern as residents evacuated, with officials urging carpooling.

The crisis raises concerns about Hawaii's aging dam infrastructure and increasing extreme weather frequency.

“Emergency services have established communication centers to help families locate each other and provide updates on the situation”

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The situation echoes the 2006 Ka Loko dam collapse that killed seven people, highlighting deadly potential.

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State Sen. Brenton Awa noted the North Shore has seen significant development, raising questions about future impacts.

Emergency officials emphasized the situation remained extremely volatile despite the dam not completely failing.

Water levels continued to rise as emergency management monitored the deteriorating conditions.

The evacuation order warned of 'life-threatening flooding and catastrophic amounts of fast moving water' from dam failure.

Officials urged immediate evacuation rather than waiting for definitive collapse signs.