Hawaii Flooding Devastates Oahu: Wahiawa Dam Feared, Jason Momoa Evacuates, 233 Rescued

The worst Hawaii flooding in more than 20 years has battered Oahu, triggering emergency evacuations across the North Shore, threatening the collapse of the aging Wahiawa Dam, and forcing celebrities including Jason Momoa to flee their homes. With more than 233 rescues completed and damage estimates approaching $1 billion, the crisis has exposed decades of deferred infrastructure decisions at the heart of one of Hawaii's most vulnerable communities.

Oahu Flash Flooding Overwhelms North Shore Communities

Muddy floodwaters smothered vast stretches of Oahu's North Shore, a community world-renowned for its big-wave surfing. Raging waters lifted homes and cars and prompted evacuation orders for 5,500 people north of Honolulu, though they were later lifted.

The low-lying areas of Haleiwa, Waialua, and Mokuleia on the North Shore were overwhelmed by catastrophic flooding early Friday morning, prompting county alerts urging residents to evacuate or move to higher ground immediately.

Parts of Oahu received 8 to 12 inches of rain. More than 200 people were rescued from rising waters, though no deaths were reported and no one was listed as unaccounted for. Crews searched by air and water for stranded residents.

The National Guard and Honolulu Fire Department airlifted 72 children and adults from a spring break youth camp on Oahu's west coast. Emergency responders struggled to access flooded areas, with two main roadways into the region — Kamehameha Highway and Kaukonahua Road — shut down due to extreme flooding.

Wahiawa Dam Failure Warning Sends Thousands Fleeing

The Wahiawa Dam became the central crisis within the broader Hawaii flooding emergency, with officials issuing an imminent failure warning during the peak of the storm.

The Wahiawa Dam rose within less than three inches of the 84-foot evacuation level by 4:30 a.m. and continued rising, with water pouring over its spillway at a pace of 1,500 gallons per second. Just before 8:30 a.m., the county posted an imminent dam failure notification.

Officials issued evacuation notices for Waialua and Haleiwa, which were already dealing with severe local flooding but could face total inundation if the Wahiawa Dam failed. The 660-foot-long earthen dam can hold up to 9,200 acre-feet of water — roughly the equivalent of 4,600 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The state had classified the Wahiawa Dam as having high hazard potential, noting a failure would result in probable loss of human life. 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, and was reconstructed following a collapse in 1921.

Dole Food Company Knew About Wahiawa Dam Risks for Decades

The Hawaii dam failure threat has renewed intense scrutiny of the relationship between Dole Food Company and state regulators, with a damning timeline emerging in the immediate aftermath of the flooding.

Dole Food Co. has known for nearly five decades that the Wahiawa Dam could flood in heavy rainfall, putting an estimated 2,500 lives at risk. The state 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.

State records show dam safety officials had been tracking the structure's deficiencies for more than a decade. In a 2024 letter, the state's chief engineer wrote that in a major storm event, the undersized spillway may not be able to handle the probable flood, which could potentially result in failure from water overtopping the dam embankment.

Dole proposed to donate the dam, reservoir, and ditch system to the state in exchange for the state's agreement to repair the spillway. However, state dam safety and engineering staff confirmed that Dole has not addressed deficiencies identified by the agency, foremost among them the undersized spillway.

Jason Momoa Evacuates Oahu North Shore, Then Feeds the Community

Jason Momoa and his family were among thousands forced to flee Oahu's North Shore amid the state's catastrophic floods. The storm is the second to hit the archipelago in one week.

Momoa took to Instagram to reveal that he and his family fled the North Shore after losing power, with floodwater forcing mass evacuations near the Wahiawa Dam, which was under imminent threat of collapse. He said the conditions on the North Shore were extremely dangerous and canceled a music event planned for the weekend.

Rather than waiting out the crisis from a distance, Momoa and his girlfriend Adria Arjona got to work. The pair was seen delivering meals from Zippy's, a beloved local Hawaiian diner chain, to people who had lost their homes or were sheltering after being forced to evacuate. Momoa described the outpouring of community support as a direct expression of aloha.

Northern Honolulu County and Maui Also Hit by Hawaii Floods

The scale of the Hawaii flooding disaster extended well beyond the North Shore, affecting multiple islands and stretching emergency resources statewide.

On the island of Maui, authorities upgraded an evacuation advisory to a warning for some parts of Lahaina, which is still reeling from a deadly 2023 wildfire, because of retention basins nearing capacity.

Emergency crews also conducted flood rescues in South Maui, and widespread road closures left some residents stranded. Gov. Josh Green issued several emergency proclamations and a disaster relief period is in effect through April 13.

Gov. Green said the cost of the storm could top $1 billion, including damage to airports, schools, roads, homes, and a Maui hospital in Kula.

Hawaii Flooding Damage and What Comes Next for Oahu

By Sunday afternoon, Hawaiian Electric restored power to about 1,200 people in Waialua on the North Shore of Oahu. Crews continued to assess damage, with the company expecting to return power to 2,000 more customers later that day. On Maui, about 100 people remained without power Sunday afternoon.

Winter storm systems known as Kona lows — which feature southerly winds that bring in moisture-laden air — have been responsible for the deluges over the past two weeks. The intensity and frequency of heavy rains in Hawaii have increased amid human-caused global warming, experts say.

Officials warned residents not to let their guard down as additional rain remained in the forecast. The Hawaii flooding crisis has reignited urgent calls for accelerated acquisition and repair of the Wahiawa Dam before the next major Kona low arrives.