As evacuation orders on O‘ahu continue, North Shore Rep. Sean Quinlan says some residents are likely to be out of their homes for an extended period.
"We have several thousand people who may not be able to return to their homes until the water goes back down," Quinlan said. "That could mean days, or maybe weeks."
Quinlan said he has spoken with Gov. Josh Green about extended shelters for evacuees, and mentioned the possibility of housing displaced people in Waikīkī hotels temporarily.
Quinlan said there will likely be various government assistance programs available for evacuees. And, once the storm clears and the damage can be assessed, he said North Shore communities will need volunteers and donations to help people return home.
"The last time this happened, I went to Ace Hardware and bought up every fan they had to help people get some of that moisture out of their homes," Quinlan said. "But there's some people who will probably lose all of their possessions."
However, Quinlan added that it's still anyone's guess what will happen. While Honolulu Emergency Management warns of an imminent failure of the Wahiawā Dam, Quinlan said even engineers aren't sure of what exactly will happen if water levels at the reservoir exceed the dam's capacity.
"I'll feel better once it goes below 82 feet," Quinlan said — water levels at the dam exceeded 85 feet this morning while the crest of the dam is 88 feet. While Quinlan said water levels above 88 feet would be catastrophic, nobody can predict precisely how the 120-year-old dam might fail if those levels are reached.
"The biggest danger right now is people getting trapped," Quinlan said, explaining that Kamehameha Highway is flooded and impassible at multiple points.
As for the future of the dam, Quinlan said the state may need to rethink its long-term plans. The dam's current owner, Dole Food Co., "made clear they weren't going to spend any more money" maintaining it, he said, and intended to transfer ownership of the dam to the state.
Ironically enough, that transfer was scheduled to happen last week — at a meeting that was cancelled due to the previous Kona low storm, Quinlan said.
While Quinlan emphasized that the dam "very much needs improvements" he added that, if more intense storms become the norm as climate change continues, perhaps greater changes to the dam and reservoir are needed.
