Oahu (Hawaii), March 22 – More than 5,500 people have been evacuated as the Hawaiian island of Oahu experienced its worst flooding in over 20 years, authorities said.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms will continue to affect the US state of Hawaii on Saturday (local time), posing major risks to Oahu and Maui County, local officials warned. Hawaii Governor Josh Green said in a video on X that more rain is expected over the weekend.
"The storm will bring another 4 to 6 inches of rain to Oahu throughout this weekend, but it is now moving to Maui, where we expect somewhere between 4 to 8 inches, but as much as 10 to 12 inches in some areas," said Green.
"So far, there have been no fatalities. There have been a few serious injuries. But do not underestimate this storm," he said.
The governor noted that conditions remain dangerous because the ground is already saturated, meaning it will take much less rain to trigger flooding, road closures, and damage.
He told the media on Friday that the cost of the storm could top $1 billion in estimated damages to private and public property, according to Xinhua news agency.
While confirming that more than 230 people have been rescued during the storm, officials cautioned that a 120-year-old dam could fail.
Authorities told residents Friday to evacuate the area downstream of the Wahiawa dam, a 120-year-old dam on Oahu, warning that it was "at risk of imminent failure."
More than 200 National Guard members have been activated during the storm to assist with rescues, road closures, door-to-door checks, and other public safety needs, according to Green.