Hundreds Evacuated as North Shore Floodwaters Surge

Rescuers used paddleboards, kayaks, and heavy machinery to evacuate residents around Waialua and Haleʻiwa amid fears of a dam breach

Mar. 21, 2026 at 2:48am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Catastrophic flooding on Oʻahu's North Shore forced hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes early Friday morning as torrential rains from a Kona low system overwhelmed the area. Rescuers used a variety of means, including paddleboards, kayaks, jet skis, and backhoes, to evacuate people from the Waialua and Haleʻiwa communities as floodwaters rose to unprecedented levels. Officials said the Wahiawā Dam was at risk of failure, prompting further evacuations, though the dam ultimately held. Many residents were caught off guard by the severity of the flooding, with one longtime North Shore resident saying they had "never seen it this bad."

Why it matters

The North Shore flooding highlights the growing threat of extreme weather events in Hawaiʻi, which are expected to become more frequent and severe due to climate change. The incident also raises questions about the resilience of the island's aging infrastructure, such as the Wahiawā Dam, and the preparedness of local emergency response systems to handle large-scale natural disasters.

The details

In the early hours of Friday morning, as heavy rains pounded the North Shore, floodwaters rapidly rose to levels many residents said they had never seen before. Emergency responders used a variety of means, including paddleboards, kayaks, jet skis, and heavy machinery like backhoes, to evacuate hundreds of people from the Waialua and Haleʻiwa communities. The flooding was so severe that some residents had to be rescued from the roofs of their homes or while stranded in their vehicles. Officials also feared the Wahiawā Dam, owned by Dole Food Co., was at risk of failure, prompting further evacuations, though the dam ultimately held.

  • At 3:42 a.m., the first evacuation alert was sent to residents' phones.
  • By 4:30 a.m., the water level behind the Wahiawā Dam had risen to within 3 inches of the 84-foot evacuation level.
  • At 8:34 a.m., a chilling alert warned that the Wahiawā Dam was either failing or about to, putting 2,500 downstream lives at risk.
  • Twenty-six minutes later, another alert said the Wahiawā Dam had not failed but was still at imminent risk of failure.
  • Around 3 p.m., the National Guard rescued six kūpuna from a senior home in Waialua, where the water had been knee-high in spots.

The players

Racquel Achiu

A Waialua resident who lost power and had her farm property inundated by chest-high floodwaters.

Molly Pierce

Spokesperson for the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management.

Kathleen Pahinui

Chairperson of the North Shore Neighborhood Board, who said she had "never seen flooding like this" in all her years living on the North Shore.

Sarah Ghio

A farmer who had to wade through deep floodwaters to escape her trapped truck and make her way to a shelter at Leilehua High School.

Zaz Dahlin

A Haleʻiwa resident and farmer who said her handicapped grandson and aunt were evacuated by police before the first alert was even issued.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We are completely cut off. Can't see a damn thing … It's so bad.”

— Racquel Achiu, Waialua resident

“I have never seen flooding like this in all the years I've lived up here. I've never seen it this bad.”

— Kathleen Pahinui, North Shore Neighborhood Board Chairperson

“It's either, stay in the truck, or do I get out in the water and try to make it.”

— Sarah Ghio, North Shore farmer

“This could wipe out the entire fucking town with billions of gallons in there.”

— Zaz Dahlin, Haleʻiwa resident and farmer

“My daughter's been throwing up all this morning. She's scared. She's grateful, obviously, that we're all alive, but she doesn't know if she's gonna have her house when she comes back.”

— Rafe Maldonado, Waialua resident

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This extreme flooding event on Oʻahu's North Shore underscores the growing threat of climate change-driven natural disasters in Hawaiʻi and the need to bolster the resilience of the state's aging infrastructure and emergency response systems to protect vulnerable communities.