More than 5,500 people have been evacuated as the Hawaiian island of Oahu suffered its worst flooding in over 20 years, authorities said
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OAHU (HAWAII) — More than 5,500 people have been evacuated as the Hawaiian island of Oahu suffered its worst flooding in over 20 years, authorities said.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms will continue to pass over 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 deliver another 4 to 6 inches of rain on Oahu throughout this weekend, but it's now moving to Maui, where we expect somewhere between likely 4 to 8 inches but as much as 10 to 12 inches in some areas," said Green.
"No loss of life so far. A few serious injuries. But don't take this storm lightly," 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 US dollars in estimated damages to private and public property, reports 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 leave the area downstream of the Wahiawa dam, a 120-year-old dam on Oahu, warning 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.