Rainwater on Monday flooded a dam in Hawaii, forcing the evacuation of about 150 households in the area and severely damaging or destroying at least half a dozen homes, authorities said.
Sandy Baz, the managing director of Maui County’s Department of Management, issued an evacuation order, which went into effect Tuesday.
Floodwaters destroyed one bridge in Haiku and severely damaged a second bridge, Maui County Mayor Michael P. Victorino said in a statement Tuesday.
He described the flooding as “unprecedented” and said officials would conduct damage assessments on Tuesday. “I ask everyone to be vigilant and safe,” he said.
At a news conference, Mr. Victorino said the heavy rains “created a very dangerous flood situation in the entire province of Maui, but especially in eastern Maui.” He noted that at least five people had been rescued.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is a real flood situation that we have not seen for a long time,” he said. Some residents, he added, told him it was the worst flooding they had seen in 25 years.
According to The Honolulu Star Advertiser, the evacuation order affected about 150 homes. In a statement released Monday, Maui County officials urged people not to return to the area “until it is safe.”
Evacuation shelters were opened at the Paia Community Center and Hana High School, and the community center opened on Tuesday.
“Please stay home and hide in his place,” he said. Victorino said, who also urged visitors to the area to stay in their hotels or accommodations. “Do not go out,” he said.
A section of the Hana Highway near the dam was closed Monday when muddy water flooded the roadway. According to the Hawaii Department of Transportation, it has since reopened. About 1,300 customers in Haiku were without power on Tuesday morning, Victorino said.
The National Weather Service in Honolulu issued a flood guard on the Hawaiian Islands on Wednesday morning. Widespread rain showers are expected to continue Tuesday night as a disturbance at the top level interacts with tropical moisture moving in from the south and east, ‘the weather service said.
Maui County officials initially thought the dam was broken by floodwaters, but “after further investigation,” they determined that “there was no structural damage,” the state said in a statement.
The land where the Kaupakalua Reservoir sits is owned by East Maui Irrigation, according to a statement from the government office of David Y. Ige of Hawaii.
East Maui Irrigation is owned by Mahi Pono, a farming company, and Alexander & Baldwin, a real estate company. Shan Tsutsui, chief operating officer of Mahi Pono, said in a statement that “the dam did not fail.”
“At that moment, the dome of the dam has been stopped,” said Mr. Tsutsui said. “However, our crew is actively monitoring the situation and will continue to monitor the water levels until it is safe again.”
According to the state, the Kaupakalua Dam, built in 1885, is one of the oldest agricultural dams on Maui. It is 57 feet high and 400 feet long and contains 68 million gallons of water.