230 people are rescued as flash flooding hits Hawaii and officials warn
120-year-old dam could fail
[March 21, 2026]
By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER and AUDREY McAVOY
HONOLULU (AP) — Muddy floodwaters from severe rains inundated streets,
pushed homes off their foundations, swallowed vehicles and prompted
evacuation orders for thousands of residents in towns north of Honolulu
on Friday as officials warned of the possible failure of a 120-year-old
dam.
Emergency sirens blared along Oahu’s North Shore, where rising waters
damaged homes in a community world-renowned for its surfing. Honolulu
officials told residents Friday morning to leave the area downstream of
Wahiawa dam — long known to be vulnerable — saying it was “at risk of
imminent failure.”
More than 230 people were rescued as heavy rains pummeled the Hawaiian
island of Oahu and triggered the worst flooding the island has in 20
years, inflicting what the governor said could top $1 billion in damage.
Water levels have been receding at the dam that authorities warned could
fail but that could change if more rain falls. In less than 24 hours,
water at the dam went from 79 feet to 84 feet — just six feet shy of
what it can handle, authorities said.
No deaths reported, but some treated for hypothermia
No deaths were reported and no one was unaccounted for Gov. Josh Green
said at a news conference. About 10 people were taken to a hospital with
hypothermia, he said.
Crew searched by air and by water for people who had been stranded —
efforts that were hampered by people flying personal drones to get
images of the flooding, he said.
Dozens — if not hundreds — of homes had been damaged but officials have
not been able to fully assess the destruction, Honolulu Mayor Rick
Blangiardi said in an afternoon news conference. Some 5,500 people were
under evacuation orders.
"There’s no question that the damage done thus far has been
catastrophic,” he said.
Blangiardi said officials felt confident in the stability of the dams on
the island, but that it was hard to predict how much rain would come and
what it might do.
The National Guard and Honolulu Fire Department airlifted 72 children
and adults who had been attending a spring break youth camp at a retreat
on Oahu’s west coast called Our Lady of Kea’au, according to city and
camp officials. The camp is on high ground but authorities didn’t want
to leave them there, the mayor said.
Kimberly R.Y. Vierra, a spokesperson for St. Francis Healthcare System
of Hawai‘i, which owns the retreat property in west Oahu, said
floodwaters had cut off the entrance road to the camp.
On Maui, officials issued an evacuation advisory for some Lahaina
neighborhoods after nearby retention basins neared capacity. Parts of
those neighborhoods were burned by the massive wildfire that destroyed
much of Lahaina in 2023.
Keeping a close eye on the dam
Officials have been watching dam levels since a storm last week dumped
heavy rain across the state, which led to catastrophic flooding that
washed away roads and homes. Two people were seriously injured in that
event — one in the neck and another in the head. A similar but weaker
storm was forecast to bring more rain through this weekend.
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A view of a storm-damaged home near floating felled branches in
flood waters caused by severe rains in Waialua, Hawaii, Friday,
March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mengshin Lin)
“It’s going to be a very touch-and-go day,” Hawaii Gov. Josh Green
said in a social media post.
Most of the state was under a flood watch, with Haleiwa and Waialua
in northern Oahu under a flash flood warning, according to the
National Weather Service.
One shelter at Waialua High and Intermediate School was evacuated
because of flooding, said Ian Scheuring, a spokesperson for
Honolulu. There were about 185 people and 50 pets there who needed
to be bussed to another evacuation center, but by midday 54 people
still remained in the shelter.
Parts of Oahu received 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) of rain
overnight, further saturating the ground after the storm last
weekend. Kaala, the island's highest peak, got nearly 16 inches (40
cm) in the past day, NWS said.
‘Kona lows’ play a role in deluges
Winter storm systems known as “Kona lows,” which feature southerly
or southwesterly winds that bring in moisture-laden air, were
responsible for the deluges. The intensity and frequency of heavy
rains in Hawaii of have increased amid human-caused global warming,
experts say.
As she prepared to evacuate to a friend’s home on higher ground,
Waialua resident Kathleen Pahinui told The Associated Press in a
phone interview that the aging Wahiawa dam is a concern every time
it rains.
“Just pray for us,” she said. “We understand there’s more rain
coming.”
The state has said the dam has “high hazard potential,” and that a
failure “will result in probable loss of human life.”
Dam dates back to 1906
The earthen dam was built in 1906 to increase sugar production for
the Waialua Agricultural Company, which eventually became a
subsidiary of Dole Food Company. It was reconstructed following a
collapse in 1921.
The state has sent Dole four notices of deficiency about the dam
since 2009 and five years ago fined the company $20,000 for failing
to address safety deficiencies on time, according to records.
Afterward, Dole proposed to donate the dam, reservoir and ditch
system to the state in exchange for the state’s agreement to repair
the spillway to meet and maintain dam safety standards.
The state passed legislation in 2023 authorizing the dam’s
acquisition. It also provided $5 million to buy the spillway and $21
million to repair and expand it to comply with dam safety
requirements. But the transfer has not been completed. A state board
is due to vote on the acquisition next week.
“The dam continues to operate as designed with no indications of
damage,” Dole said in an emailed statement.
The state regulates 132 dams across Hawaii, most of them built as
part of irrigation systems for the sugar cane industry, according to
a 2019 infrastructure report by the American Society of Civil
Engineers.
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