Oprah Winfrey Opens Her Private Road in Maui Amid Tsunami Evacuation

Oprah Winfrey is helping the residents of Hawaii in a major way. The media maven opened her private road in Maui, Hawaii, to help with evacuation efforts amid a tsunami alert following a huge earthquake off Russia’s coast, PEOPLE reports. 

The first waves occurred following the massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake that reached Hawaii on July 29, with a 4-foot wave being recorded off the island of Oahu, per the BBC.  A wave over 5 feet high was also reported in Kahului, on per CNN. A 4.5-foot tsunami wave was also recorded in Hilo in Hawaii County, the outlet noted. Hawaii residents were told to evacuate before things turned around and the warning was lifted. 

Beforehand, local authorities released a statement on Winfrey’s decision. “Oprah’s road is open to get Upcountry, according to Maui Police Department,” a press release noted. “As soon as we heard the tsunami warnings, we contacted local law enforcement and FEMA to ensure the road was opened. Any other reports are otherwise false. Local law enforcement are currently on site helping residents through 50 cars at a time to ensure everyone’s safety. The road will remain open as long as necessary,” her spokesperson added.

Per the Associated Press, the earthquake is one of the strongest to ever be recorded. As of now, no major damage has been reported, but authorities are continuing to warn people to stay away from shorelines and get to safer areas.

Dave Snider, the tsunami warning coordinator with the National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska, said of the warnings, “A tsunami is not just one wave. It’s a series of powerful waves over a long period of time,” per the AP, adding to their impact. “Tsunamis cross the ocean at hundreds of miles an hour — as fast as a jet airplane — in deep water. But when they get close to the shore, they slow down and start to pile up. And that’s where that inundation problem becomes a little bit more possible there,” he added, according to the news agency.

Winfrey first moved to Hawaii in 2002. The first properties she purchased totaled over 117 acres. She has continued to expand her holdings over the years, including a 163-acre estate known as “Promised Land.” By 2023, she owned roughly 1,000 acres on Maui.