The Wahiawa Dam is at risk of breaching, the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management said today in a news conference.
The agency issued an evacuation warning and encouraged those in the area from Waialua to Haleiwa to evacuate or get ready to evacuate “out of an abundance of caution.”
The warning comes after those in Otake Camp were already ordered to evacuate due to excessive flooding.
Dr. Randal Collins, director of the agency, said the reservoir’s water level was 83 feet as of 6 p.m. Dam failure occurs at 90 feet, he said.
“There is a risk of dam failure,” Collins said. “A failure could send water downstream fast and lead to catastrophic flooding.”
Collins said those in the area should prepare to evacuate on short notice and those who need extra time should leave immediately.
Updated:
Officials continue to monitor conditions at Wahiawa Dam but had some good news to share late Friday night: water levels are trending down.
Heavy rains are still forecast for the next couple of hours, so the evacuation warning remains in effect.
That was at 10 pm in Hawaii, or about 3 hours ago by my rough math.
If you live in Wahiawa or Haleiwa, based on the radar and current rate of precipitation, you should consider evacuating now.
I’ve been watching the weather radar and there is a very strong chance of enough radar coming off the Waianae and Koolau ranges that this dam could fail, and the problem is that you might not get the warning till late tonight.
