After two powerful storms struck Hawaii over the past week, officials are warning that one of the largest dams on the island of Oahu is at risk of imminent failure.
Water was flowing over the top of the Wahiawa dam on Thursday morning local time. Officials issued evacuation notices for two towns, Waialua and Haleiwa, which were already dealing with local flooding but could get inundated if the dam fails.
“We’ve got a little over 4,000 people directly within the dam evacuation area,” said Molly Pierce, a spokesperson for the Oahu Department of Emergency Management.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green urged residents to follow the guidance from emergency officials.
“If you are in these areas, please evacuate now,” he said in a statement.
The 660-foot-long earthen dam can hold up to 9,200 acre-feet of water (roughly 4,600 Olympic sized swimming pools). It is equipped with a 183-foot wide spillway.
“It could fail,” Pierce said of
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