'Kona' Storms Trigger Hawaii's Worst Floods in 20 Years

Climate-concerned narrative

Hawaii's worst flooding in over 20 years has been a catastrophe of historic proportions, with $1 billion in damage, 5,500 evacuation orders and a 120-year-old dam teetering on the edge of failure. The Wahiawa dam's crumbling condition — with four state deficiency notices since 2009 and an incomplete ownership transfer — shows decades of neglect that put lives at risk. Human-caused global warming is intensifying these destructive "Kona" storms, and Hawaii is on the front lines of climate change.