Relics Of Sugar's Past, Hawaii Dams Will Take Years To Fix Or Remove civilbeat.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from civilbeat.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Mar 11, 2021
Mark Vaught of East Maui Irrigation Co. (from right), Shan Tsutsui of Mahi Pono and Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino visit the Kaupakalua Dam in Haiku on Tuesday following massive flooding. DLNR photos
The Maui News
State engineers and the owners of the Kaupakalua Dam won’t be able to fully assess the damage to the structure until flooding subsides and the reservoir empties out, the Department of Land and Natural Resources said Wednesday.
Officials visited the dam on Tuesday, a day after torrential rains overflowed the dam, flooded roads and washed away bridges and homes.
“This dam is old, and we require it to stay dry, so that any water coming down the stream normally just washes through,” DLNR Chairwoman Suzanne Case said. “With more than 14 inches of rain in a very short period of time, the reservoir just filled up, and overtopped the dam and sent water rushing down the spillway. It will take awhile for all of that water to flow out.”
Damage assessments continue on Maui after 'unprecedented flooding' kitv.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kitv.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
State: Maui Dam Was In Unsatisfactory Condition When It Overflowed - Honolulu Civil Beat
State: Maui Dam Was In ‘Unsatisfactory’ Condition When It Overflowed
The county has said at least half a dozen homes were heavily damaged or destroyed in the flooding. Reading time: 4 minutes.
HAIKU, Maui The aging Maui dam that overflowed on Monday, causing flooding and forcing evacuations downstream, had been the subject of enforcement action by state and county officials over the past year and is slated to be removed later this summer.
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said Tuesday that owners of the Kaupakalua Dam were issued a notice of violation last month for failing to comply with safety requirements mandated by the state in February 2020.
Maggie T. Sutrov via Reuters
Originally published on March 10, 2021 2:49 pm
The governor of Hawaii declared a state of emergency after severe flooding across the state s islands prompted evacuations, damaged homes and raised alarm over a possible dam failure.
Gov. David Ige signed the proclamation on Tuesday to release state general funds to help those impacted by the extreme weather, which he said is expected to continue until Friday. The order covers the counties of Hawaii, Maui, Kalawao and Kauai, as well as the city and county of Honolulu.
Residents of the town of Haleiwa on the North Shore of Oahu were ordered on Tuesday afternoon to evacuate because of catastrophic flooding. Officials lifted the evacuation order some seven hours later but said road closures remained in place.