Oprah finally opens her private Maui road so people can escape Tsunami
Following a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s coast, Oprah Winfrey’s private road becomes a critical escape route for Maui residents fleeing tsunami threat.
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Oprah Winfrey made her private road in Maui, Hawaii, accessible to the public to facilitate tsunami evacuations following a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
About Oprah's Road:
Oprah owns significant land in Maui, including a private road that connects Wailea to Kula, stretching from near Piilani Highway in Kihei to Keokoa, near Haleakala Highway. This road, paved by OW Ranch LLC (associated with Winfrey) in December 2010, is approximately 4 miles long, gated, and explicitly designated as private, with no public access permitted under normal circumstances. It lies on land owned by Haleakala Ranch, with Winfrey’s company securing an easement for its use
There was no legal obligation for her to open the road unless mandated by emergency authorities - In the U.S., private roads are not obligated to be open to the public unless designated as public rights of way. That being said, social media users were extremely frustrated with her for not opening it immediately, making them go a much longer and circuitous route.
The earthquake, which struck last night, prompted a tsunami warning across the Pacific, including Hawaii, where waves up to 6 feet peak-to-trough were reported. Winfrey’s road, connecting Wailea to Kula and providing a direct route to higher ground, became a critical lifeline as other evacuation routes faced severe traffic congestion.
Maui County officials confirmed Winfrey’s decision, noting it mirrored her actions during a 2019 brush fire when she also opened the road to aid evacuations. The road, paved by OW Ranch LLC in December 2010, is typically private and gated, with no public access under normal circumstances. However, the urgency of the tsunami threat led to its temporary opening, significantly easing the movement of residents to safer, higher elevations.
The tsunami warning, issued for the entire state of Hawaii, urged residents to evacuate coastal areas to at least the fourth floor of buildings or higher ground. In Maui, sirens blared, and officials advised calling the Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) at (808) 270-7285 for details. All commercial harbors were closed, and flights to and from Kahului Airport were canceled, with passengers sheltering in terminals. Hilo Airport remained closed as of 8:30 p.m. HST on July 29, but operations began resuming as the situation stabilized.
Governor Josh Green emphasized the force of tsunami waves, describing them as “a different beast” from regular ocean waves, and cautioned residents against returning to evacuated areas until an all-clear was given.