DLNR News Release: EVACUATIONS UNDERWAY IN AREAS BELOW KAUPAKALUA DAM ON MAUI
Posted on Mar 8, 2021 in Latest News, Newsroom, Press Releases
(Kahului) – State and Maui County officials are closely monitoring an earthen dam in the Haiku region of Maui after heavy rain caused water to overtop the dam this afternoon.
The County evacuation map shows approximately 30 parcels or lots below the Kaupakalua Dam, which is at Kaupakalua Gulch about five miles east of the Haiku turnoff on the Hana Highway. Anyone who lives in the vicinity of this dam is asked to evacuate immediately.
The dam’s owner contacted the DLNR dam safety program at around 1:30 p.m. to report extremely heavy rainfall and indicated the spillway was running very high. This initiated a level 2 emergency which means there is potential for failure. At 2:50p.m. the dam’s owner reported the dam was starting to overtop the embankment. The parcel of land where the Kaupakulua Reservoir is located is owned by East Maui I