Property owners and communities can suffer severe losses when flooding occurs. Information resources that illuminate flood risks provide focus for mitigation and preparedness efforts that will help save lives and reduce economic impact. In early 2006, a series of record-breaking flood events inundated the Hawaiian Islands. The damage was compounded when the Ka Loko Dam failed on the island of Kauai, killing seven people and destroying several homes. With more than 100 dams in Hawaii, assessing potential flood risk is crucial to minimizing impacts from dam failure events.
Under contract with Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Dam Safety Division, PDC modeled dam failure scenarios for all 135 dams registered in the state of Hawaii. Based on the output from these models, PDC created flood inundation maps that provided an overall view of water depth and flood travel time, an exposure assessment of community infrastructure, and an estimate of potential economic damage to private structures and businesses. The maps continue to provide a basis for assessing risk in Hawaii’s downstream areas, supporting emergency preparedness and evacuation planning throughout the state.
ABOUT PDC
Pacific Disaster Center (PDC) is a leading scientific innovator of global risk reduction science and technology. As a University of Hawai’i applied science and research center, our work intersects with a variety of government, community, academic, and scientific organizations at home and around the world to build resilience to natural and man-made hazards—enhancing the capacity to quickly and accurately anticipate and prepare for new and emerging threats. Our innovations in multi-hazard early warning systems, predictive analytics, data science, and machine learning provide decision-makers with the powerful tools and insights they need to navigate today’s complex and interconnected risk landscape.
Dec 4, 2025 | DisasterAWARE, Early Warning
From crippling floods to powerful earthquakes and back-to-back typhoons, the Philippines hazard environment grew more complex by the month during 2025—and its Office of Civil Defense (OCD) charged with responding, leaned heavily on the system it had institutionalized just a year earlier.
May 15, 2025 | Early Warning
With typhoon season on the horizon, the Philippines leans heavily on new early warning and risk analysis capabilities to ensure whole-of-government preparedness and community awareness.
May 14, 2024 | Early Warning, Exercises and Training
After concluding a year-long engagement with Barbados in which the Pacific Disaster Center (PDC)...
May 3, 2024 | Advanced Analytics, Early Warning, Partnerships
Geneva, Switzerland—During the week of May 6-10, 2024, participants at the U.N. Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks (HNPW) forum in Geneva, Switzerland will get a firsthand look at how PDC is spearheading transformative efforts within the “Early Warnings for All” initiative, including its advanced analytics
May 2, 2024 | Advanced Analytics, Partnerships
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia—During the recent 2024 Planetary Health Summit and 6th Annual Meeting which took place from April 15-19 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the University of Hawai’i’s Pacific Disaster Center, and Sunway University formalized their partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The first collaborative activity planned under the new MOU is a Planetary Health Assessment to create a baseline understanding of the impacts of the planetary health crisis including extreme natural hazards, biodiversity loss, and pollution on the human and earth systems at the national level.
Nov 8, 2023 | Early Warning
Singapore’s Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Coordination Centre...