More Than 5,500 Residents Ordered to Evacuate in Hawaii Amid Risk of Dam Failure, Flooding

Honolulu officials warned towns along Oahu’s North Shore that the Wahiawa Dam was ‘at risk of imminent failure.’
More Than 5,500 Residents Ordered to Evacuate in Hawaii Amid Risk of Dam Failure, Flooding
Map of the evacuation zone in response to the risk of a dam failure amid torrential rains on Oahu, Hawaii, on March 20, 2026. Screenshot/Hawaii Emergency Management Agency
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More than 5,500 people on Hawaii’s most populous island have been ordered to evacuate on March 20 as weather conditions continue to worsen and threaten the integrity of a 120-year-old dam.

That island, Oahu, which is home to the capital, Honolulu, is forecast to face severe rains capable of bringing risks of flash flooding and landslides over the next several days. The National Weather Service predicted that Oahu could receive four to 10 inches of rain between March 20 and March 23. This comes after the island received more than 26 inches of rain between March 10 and March 16.

T.J. Muscaro
T.J. Muscaro
Author
Based out of Tampa, Florida, TJ primarily covers weather and national politics.