Kaloko dam breach
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The Kaloko Dam (also: "Ka Loko") was a dam in Hawaii , USA. It broke on the morning of March 14, 2006 before sunrise after days of rain and caused a tidal wave 6 m high and 30 m wide . At least two houses and a 300 m long stretch of the coastal road were torn away through this. Seven people were probably killed in the accident.
The small dam , which is located 5 km southeast of Kilauea on the Wailapa River, was 80 years old, 12 m high and 24 m long. It was 200 m above sea level in the Makalena Mountains in the north of the Hawaiian island of Kauai and was made of earth material. The reservoir contained around 1.2 million cubic meters of water. It used to be used to irrigate sugar cane fields , the yields of which were processed in a refinery in Kilauea. The dam had not been used for 20 years and was therefore neglected, it was only visited by anglers.
The tidal wave resulted in seven deaths, injuries and significant property damage. The tidal wave consisted of large amounts of mud. She rolled two miles into the ocean.
The dam belonged to a car dealer whose name was given as James Pflueger. Its employees are said to have observed the dam for around 24 hours before the break. The water level should not have been threateningly high and the water should not have overflowed, according to the preliminary investigations not even about the flood relief .
Heavy rains are not exceptional in Hawaii. The area on Mount Waialeale is the rainiest place on earth with a rainfall of 11.4 m per year. In 1982 even 17 m of precipitation fell. With short-term rainfall, however, one place in India ( Cherrapunji ) is even more rainy. After the break, other dams in Hawaii were investigated and another at the Morita Reservoir, which lies below the Kaloko Dam, is said to have been in danger.