Thousands evacuated as Hawaii faces worst flooding in 20 years

18 hours ago

ShareSave

Anna Lamche and Kayla Epstein

ShareSave

Watch: Flood-hit Hawaii seen from above

Hawaii remains under a statewide flood watch after a severe storm hit the state and prompted officials to order evacuations.

The potential for flash floods threaten the island of Oahu and parts of Maui County, Governor Josh Green said on Saturday.

The storm that struck this weekend is the second severe weather event to hit the archipelago in the last week.

Some parts of the state received 40 to 50in (127cm) of rain in the last 10 days, according to Green. Oahu could receive four to six more, while parts of Maui could experience between four to 12in, he said.

“Don’t take this storm lightly,” Green said in a video statement. No deaths had been reported, he said, but there have been few serious injuries.

The state has activated a programme for people displaced by the storm that allows them to get discounted hotel rates.

In a subsequent post, the governor warned that, because the ground had already been saturated by the earlier rainfall, “it will take much less rain to trigger flooding, road closures and damage”.

The damage from the storms could exceed $1bn (£745m), according to Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi.

More than 230 people have been rescued so far, Blangiardi told a news conference on Friday.

The authorities warned that a dam in Oahu, the state’s most populous island, was at risk of collapse. Blangiardi urged residents to “stay safe” and “take the storm as seriously as you can”.

Speaking at Friday’s news conference, he praised the emergency workers working to keep people safe.

Rising floodwaters lifted homes and cars and triggered evacuation orders for some 5,500 people north of the state’s capital city, Honolulu. Roads have been closed across the islands.

Honolulu Department of Emergency Management has issued multiple flash flood warnings and urged residents to move to higher ground and avoid flooded areas.

Flood watch warnings have also been issued for Maui, Molokai and The Big Island.

Green has said the storm would have a “serious consequence for us as a state” because it had caused enormous damage to airports, schools, roads and hospitals, as well as people’s homes.

“This is the largest flood that we’ve had in Hawaii in 20 years,” he told the news conference on Friday.

Honolulu Fire Department

A building collapsed in high muddy floodwaters

The governor urged residents to seek out shelters and assembly areas across the state.

The island was in the grip of a “Kona Low”, a slow-moving area of low pressure that pulls in warm, moisture-rich air across the Hawaiian islands, bringing heavy rain and flash flooding.

Honolulu Fire Department

Some areas received more than 10in of rainfall and winds of up to 100mph (160km/h).

The storm is the latest challenge for the island, which frequently deals with the fallout of natural disasters such as the 2023 Lahaina wildfires, which left more than 100 people dead.

Additional reporting by BBC Weather

Floods

Hawaii

United States

Severe weather