Hundreds rescued and evacuations ordered as catastrophic flash flooding hits Oahu

HONOLULU (CNN) — Hundreds of people have been rescued as severe flooding batters Hawaii’s Oahu island, with evacuation orders remaining in place Saturday near a dam that officials feared could overtop as water levels rose.

The flooding is the largest event of its kind in the state in 20 years, Gov. Josh Green said at a news conference. It comes as the second significant storm in a week inundates the state, meaning the ground was already saturated before the flooding began.

There have so far been no reports of deaths or anyone unaccounted for, Green added.

Crews have rescued 236 people from treacherous conditions, Green told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield on Saturday.

The storm could ultimately cost more than $1 billion in damage across the public and private sectors statewide, the governor has said.

Catastrophic flash flooding has destroyed homes, damaged airports and hospitals, and cut off towns in Oahu.

The Wahiawa dam, in Oahu’s North Shore area, was at risk of “collapse or breach” on Friday, according to the Oahu Department of Emergency Management. Residents in the towns of Waialua and Haleiwa were told to leave immediately due to “potential life-threatening flooding.” A flash flood warning and evacuation notice remain in effect for the area.

Water levels at the dam began to fall later Friday night. The dam continues to be monitored as levels remain elevated, the Oahu Department of Emergency Management said Saturday.

“We seem to be OK, it’s been trending downwards now these last few hours,” Green told CNN on Saturday afternoon. “We seem to be at a good place, but it’s an old dam.”

“We are still in the throes of this storm. This storm will go on for another two days at least,” Green added.

In the Waialua area, officials warned all roads were at risk of failure. “Leave now while conditions are safe to prevent becoming stuck,” a Friday alert from the emergency management department said.

RELATED | Over 5,500 told to evacuate flooding in Hawaii as officials warn 120-year-old dam could fail

As evacuation orders spread across Waialua, resident Kathleen Pahinui told the Associated Press she was preparing to evacuate to a friend’s home on higher ground. The Wahiawa dam, she said, is a worry for many in the community whenever heavy rain sets in.

“Just pray for us,” she said. “We understand there’s more rain coming.”

There are an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 people in the dam risk area, Oahu Department of Emergency Management spokesperson Molly Pierce told CNN Friday. There are just under 10,000 people in the larger area impacted by flooding in the North Shore.

The North Shore has been under flash flood warnings since early Friday as heavy rain lashes the island. It’s unclear how many homes have been destroyed in the area, according to Pierce.

Some of those rescued were plucked “directly from rooftops,” Green told CNN affiliate Hawaii News Now.

“There was a group of 70 people who were surrounded by water up at a campsite up on the North Shore,” Green said. “I was told they are safe right now, but they were having difficulty getting out because there was so much water around them.”

The Hawaii National Guard has also been activated, Green said in a social media post Friday. “Additional resources are continuing to deploy across Oʻahu. We are coordinating closely with state and county partners to support evacuations, open shelters, and keep our communities safe.”

The Guard and the Honolulu Fire Department airlifted 72 children and adults from a spring break youth camp on Oahu’s west coast, the department said Friday.

U.S. Coast Guard boats and aircraft were also deployed Friday to the area of Haleiwa, where the agency implored residents to “refrain from entering or driving through standing or fast-moving water.”

Emergency responders struggled to access the flooded area early Friday morning, with two main roadways into it — Kamehameha Highway and Kaukonahua Road – flooded, emergency management spokesperson Pierce said.

“All points into the area are currently flooded, both coming in from central Oahu and from the Kahuku North Shore side. All routes in are flooded right now,” Pierce added.

Heavy bands of rain from a new Kona storm soaked Oahu overnight Thursday into Friday, dumping two to three months’ worth of rain in 24 hours. Rainfall totals have reached 6 to 12 inches on the northern half of the island.

The ground is saturated from last weekend’s major storm, so water is running off quickly and causing more serious flooding.

Heavy downpours are still possible on Oahu on Saturday, but so far, the rain has mostly impacted Maui County. A flood watch is in effect for all the islands until Sunday afternoon.

On Maui, officials issued an evacuation advisory for parts of Lahaina as nearby retention basins neared capacity. Some of the affected neighborhoods were among those burned in the 2023 wildfire that destroyed much of the town.

Heavy rain and strong winds from last weekend’s storm set off dangerous flooding, landslides, sinkholes and knocked out power to thousands across the state.

The storm dumped more than 15 inches of rain across all of Hawaii’s islands, but Maui’s higher elevations received the most, recording more than 2 feet.

Maui also saw some of the worst impacts: Flooding destroyed at least one home and a condo building, according to Hawaii News Now.

Emergency crews also conducted flood rescues in South Maui and widespread road closures left some residents stranded, Hawaii News Now reported.

Green issued several emergency proclamations due to the storm, and a disaster relief period is in effect through April 13.

Conditions should improve early in the week as the storm moves away.