Tsunami Warning and Road Access on Oprah Winfrey’s Maui Property

Residents in Maui, Hawaii, faced challenges as they attempted to evacuate to higher ground following a tsunami warning on Wednesday morning. Reports indicated that private roads on Oprah Winfrey’s property were allegedly closed during this crisis.

In response to these claims, Winfrey’s team issued a statement, explaining that they promptly coordinated with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after the tsunami alert and warnings about local road conditions emerged. Winfrey herself mentioned, “As soon as I heard the tsunami warning, I contacted local law enforcement and FEMA to confirm that the roads were open. Otherwise, the report was incorrect.”

Despite social media chatter suggesting the roads were inaccessible, support from the Maui Police Department confirmed that access routes to higher ground were indeed open. The statement aimed to counteract the growing criticism suggesting Winfrey had blocked these roads.

It’s worth noting that Winfrey is not the only celebrity with property in the area. Others like Woody Harrelson, Jeff Bezos, and Owen Wilson also own land on Maui, which is the second largest island in Hawaii.

This tsunami warning was triggered by a powerful earthquake measuring 8.8 magnitude that struck the eastern Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. The US National Tsunami Warning Center indicated that evacuations were advised not only in Hawaii but also on the US West Coast and in Japan following the quake.