Hawaii was hit by its worst flooding in more than two decades after intense rain soaked ground already waterlogged by last week’s winter storm, officials said Friday, warning that more rain was likely over the weekend.
Thick, muddy floodwaters covered large parts of Oahu’s north shore, an area known around the world for big wave surfing. Strong currents swept away homes and vehicles, prompting officials to issue an evacuation order for 5,500 residents north of Honolulu. Authorities have also warned that the 120-year-old dam is at risk of failure, according to the AP.
Almost all of Hawaii was under a flood watch, while Haleiwa and Waialua on North Oahu were under flash flood warnings, according to the National Weather Service.
Fooding covers a residential neighborhood in Waialua, Hawaii, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mengshin Lin)(AP)Debris from a storm-damaged home lies on a bridge along the Kaukonahua Stream, caused by flooding from heavy rains, in Waialua, Hawaii, Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mengshin Lin)(AP)
Governor Josh Green on the impact of the situation in Hawaii
Governor Josh Green said damage from the storm could exceed $1 billion, with impacts to the airport, schools, roads, homes and a hospital in Kula, Maui.
“It will have very serious consequences for us as a state,” Green said.
Green said his chief of staff had spoken with the White House and was assured that federal assistance would be available for the islands. He also said no deaths and no missing persons were reported, although about 10 people were hospitalized for hypothermia.
Rescue teams searched for stranded residents by air and water, but their work was disrupted by people flying personal drones to capture footage of the flooding, Honolulu spokesman Ian Scheuring said.
The Honolulu National Guard and Fire Department airlifted 72 children and adults from a spring break youth camp at Our Lady of Kea’au, a retreat on Oahu’s west coast, according to city and camp officials. Although the camp is on high ground, officials decided it was safer not to keep them there, the mayor said.
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Green said the flooding was the worst in Hawaii since the 2004 Manoa flood that inundated homes and the University of Hawaii library.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said dozens and possibly hundreds of homes were damaged Friday, though officials have not yet been able to determine the full extent of the destruction. He said: “There is no doubt that the damage that has been done so far has been catastrophic.”
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Officials said the extent of the damage was due in part to the huge amount of rain that fell in a very short time on already saturated ground. Some areas of Oahu saw 8 to 12 inches of rain overnight, while Kaala, the island’s highest peak, saw nearly 16 inches fall in the previous 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service.
More precipitation was still on the way. Blangiardi said Oahu is expected to get another 6 to 8 inches over the next two to three days.
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The flooding over the past two weeks has been caused by winter storm systems known as Kona lows, which bring moisture-rich air with southerly or southwesterly winds. Experts say that human-caused climate change has made Hawaii’s heavy rains more intense and more frequent.
Officials were also closely monitoring the Wahiawa Dam, warning that it was at imminent risk of failure. Although water levels had receded by Friday, they could rise again with more rain. Between midnight and Friday, the dam’s water level rose from 79 feet to 84 feet, leaving it just 6 feet below capacity, authorities said.
Waialu resident Kathleen Pahinui told the AP by phone that the old dam becomes a major source of worry every time heavy rain hits as she prepares to evacuate to a friend’s house on higher ground.
She mentioned, “Just pray for us, we understand that more rain is coming.”
According to a 2019 infrastructure report from the American Society of Civil Engineers, Hawaii regulates 132 dams across the state, most of which were originally built to support irrigation systems for the sugar cane industry.
