Honolulu Rail Project at Risk of Flood Damage

A group of residents is prepared to take Honolulu, Hawaii officials to court over the city’s multibillion-dollar rail project because of concerns that the rail could be vulnerable to flood damage.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported the “Do Rail Right” group laid out its concerns in a letter to the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation last week. The residents say the parts of the rail being built on Oahu’s flood plain are susceptible to damage from tsunamis, storm surges and rising sea levels.

HART spokesman Bill Brennan said in an email Monday the rail agency has fully complied with federal law and the National Flood Insurance Program.

Members of Do Rail Right say they plan to take HART to court if they don’t revisit previous studies to address the flood issues