Kauaʻi County is seeking emergency technical assistance after the mouth of the Waimea River shifted westward, sending the river’s outlet along the beach closer to nearby homes and private property.
County officials said Sunday they are actively monitoring the evolving conditions as crews assess potential impacts and determine the safest course of action.
A resident posted a video of the river to social media and remarked, “I’ve never seen Waimea Canyon River on Kauaʻi flow in this direction, parallel to the shore.”
The County’s Department of Public Works is documenting conditions at the river mouth, while the Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency has requested specialized engineering and regulatory assistance to evaluate the situation.
“The safety of the community is our highest priority,” Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency Administrator Elton Ushio said in a press release.
“This situation goes beyond routine clearing of the river mouth, and any action affecting the channel must be guided by appropriate engineering and regulatory expertise to avoid unintentionally worsening erosion or impacts to nearby property.”
As conditions continued to develop, the Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency submitted a formal Request for Assistance to the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency.
The request seeks state-coordinated engineering, regulatory, and operational support, along with coordination with federal partners, if needed, to assess the river mouth and identify a safe path forward.
Officials emphasized that there have been no reports of injuries, evacuations, or damage to homes or other property at this time.
Waimea resident Michelle ʻMikalaʻ Costello told Kauaʻi Now that “the situation is worsening by the hour. Already, the entire jetty for the river is submerged. Public works drains are not discharging into the ocean; they are blocked.”
“The river took a turn, and it’s been doing that for a week,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of rain, and the extra water has accelerated the velocity of the river… A few days ago, the river was like a couple of feet; now it’s 75 feet across.”
The Kauaʻi Police Department’s drone team is assisting with aerial imagery to help officials assess, map, and monitor the changing river channel, while County personnel continue documenting conditions on the ground.
Residents and visitors are urged to stay away from the active river channel and the immediate river mouth area until assessments are complete.
County officials stated that updates will be shared as more information becomes available. Residents are encouraged to sign up for the County’s emergency notification service, Everbridge, for the latest alerts by clicking here.
