30 July 2025, 09:16
Thousands have been told to evacuate across Hawaii this morning.
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Oprah Winfrey has denied allegations she refused to allow Hawaiians fleeing from an incoming Tsunami to use her private road from Wailea to Kula.
Tsunami warnings were issued across Hawaii, Japan and much of the United States’ west coast after an 8.7 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast of Russia late on Tuesday.
Waves could reportedly reach up to 3 metres high, according to the Meteorological agency
Videos emerged on social media this morning of Hawaiians accusing the legendary TV host of refusing to open her private road running from Wailea to Kula to allow locals to flee.
Read more: Huge traffic jams in Hawaii as hundreds of people flee tsunami
I live down the street from Oprah’s gate on Maui, they opened the gate let a group through then closed it again. They didn’t let the black truck in while I was there. Maui Tsunami pic.twitter.com/Wr73xyzOsm
— Ellencomofitness (@ellenfitforever) July 30, 2025
A spokesperson for Oprah has insisted this is not the case, however, and said the road is being used by police to help locals.
“As soon as we heard the tsunami warnings, we contacted local law enforcement and FEMA to ensure the road was opened,” the spokesperson told the Mirror US.
“Any reports otherwise are 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.”
Oprah Winfrey’s estate is seen on March 16, 2004 in Kula, Hawaii.
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Hawaii Governor Josh Green has urged residents not to ignore evacuation warnings in the US state, urging them to avoid the shoreline at all costs.
“People need to evacuate, that’s very clear. … Please take this very seriously,” he said.
He told locals not to risk going out near the shoreline, saying the tsunami is “not a regular wave”.
It will actually kill you if you get hit by a tsunami, so you have to be out of that area,” he added.
Water levels on the islands of Kauai and Oahu, home to the capital city of Honolulu, dropped significantly before impact – a phenomenon which occurs before large waves hit.
Donald Trump added he wants people impacted to “”STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE”.
“Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii,” he posted on X.
“A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States.
“Japan is also in the way. Please visit https://tsunami.gov for the latest information.”
A man checking his smartphone walks along a screen broadcasting televised information on an alert tsunami in Japan.
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Getty
More than 1.9 million people have been ordered to evacuate in Japan.
Dozens of waves have been spotted across Japan’s Pacific coast.
Evacuation warnings now stretch hundreds of kilometres/miles along its pacific coast – from Hokkaido to Wakayama prefecture.
Workers have been evacuated following a tsunami alert in Fukushima.
The Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) was one of the first firms to update that all its workers had been evacuated earlier today.
The area is of concern due to nuclear debris that’s being constantly cooled by tons of water that then gets stored in large tanks next to the plant.