Hawaii Flooding: 4,000 Evacuated as Oahu Dam Faces Imminent Failure

A flooded neighborhood in Waialua, on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii, was surveyed by a Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew on March 20, 2026, as officials ordered evacuations for approximately 4,000 residents near the aging Wahiawa dam.

The mandatory evacuation order was issued due to concerns that the century-old dam was “at imminent risk of failure” following days of heavy rainfall, according to local emergency management officials. The Wahiawa dam is located in the north of Oahu, the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and home to the state capital, Honolulu.

Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, located at Kalaeloa Airport approximately 13.5 miles west of Honolulu, dispatched the helicopter crew to assess the extent of the flooding. The air station, established in 1965, currently operates four HC-130J Super Hercules aircraft and MH-65E Dolphin helicopters, according to the Coast Guard.

Images released by the Honolulu Fire Department reveal residents being evacuated from flooded homes, some utilizing rescue boards and tractors to navigate the high water. Other images depict washed-out roads and homes damaged by the flooding. The U.S. Army also deployed HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade to survey the damage.

Kalaeloa Airport, formerly Naval Air Station Barbers Point, features three asphalt runways and serves as a joint civil-military facility. The Coast Guard has maintained a presence at the airfield since 1949, initially with PBY-5 Catalinas and a Grumman G-21 Goose, and later transitioning to the HH-52 Seaguard and, the HH-65 Dolphin helicopters currently in use.

As of March 22, 2026, the status of the Wahiawa dam remains under assessment, and the evacuation order remains in effect. No timeline for the dam’s inspection or potential repairs has been announced.