Hawaii Dam Holds Firm After Being Told It Is a ‘Heritage Site’ and That Collapsing Would Be ‘Very Rude’

WAIALUA, HAWAII — The 120-year-old Wahiawa Dam, which last week came within inches of catastrophic failure as floodwaters topped its earthen walls and sent 5,500 residents fleeing to higher ground, has reportedly stabilized — a development officials are attributing to favorable weather, emergency intervention, and what one engineer described as “a firm but respectful conversation with the dam itself.”

“We told it that collapsing at this point would be historically irresponsible,” said Hawaii Governor Josh Green. “It’s a heritage structure. Built in 1906. It’s been through a lot. We appealed to its dignity.”

The dam, which was constructed to increase sugar production for the Dole Food Company, has received four official notices since 2009 about its “deficiencies” — a word officials used in the same tone one might use to describe a beloved but aging relative who keeps leaving the stove on. In 2021, Dole was fined $20,000 for failing to maintain the dam, a sum roughly equivalent to the cost of 40 pineapples at current Hawaiian resort prices.

The State of Hawaii passed a law in 2023 to acquire the dam from Dole, but the transfer is “not yet complete” — a phrase that has been used to describe the situation every year since 2023, and which experts say may continue to apply for some time.

The flooding, described as the worst in 20 years, lifted homes, swallowed cars, and prompted the National Guard to airlift 72 people — including children on spring break at a youth retreat — from rising waters. In Maui, still recovering from the 2023 wildfire, evacuation warnings were upgraded as retention basins neared capacity, prompting locals to describe the situation as “honestly, a bit much.”

Governor Green estimated damages could exceed $1 billion, covering roads, schools, airports, hospitals, and “one very stressed dam that deserves a lot of credit.”

“The evacuation orders have been lifted,” Green announced Saturday. “The dam held. We’re not totally sure why. Climate scientists say it’s going to keep raining. Dole did not return our calls.”

At press time, the state was installing new cameras on the dam to monitor it more closely, which dam safety experts described as “a great idea that maybe could have happened fifteen years ago.”