Oprah Winfrey Shuts Down Claims Her Private Maui Road Was Closed During Tsunami Evacuations

Oprah Winfrey is responding to social media claims that a private road on her Maui estate was kept closed during tsunami evacuations across Hawaii. A spokesperson for the media mogul hit back at the rumors, clarifying in a statement to multiple outlets on July 30 that the opposite is true. “As soon as we heard the tsunami warnings, we contacted local law enforcement and FEMA to ensure the road was opened. Any reports otherwise are false,” the statement read, adding that authorities were helping 50 cars pass through at a time and the road would “remain open as long as necessary” to ensure safety. Hawaii residents, along with some along the U.S. West Coast and Japan, were given evacuation notices after a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. Though Hawaii was expected to bear the worst impact and initial waves were reported to be up to five feet above sea level, the alert was reduced from a warning to an advisory within hours. Advisories also remained in effect for some parts of California on July 30, though Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued a video statement clarifying that any major tsunami threat to the U.S. had passed by 8:30 a.m. local time. The quake is said to be among the 10 strongest in Earth’s recorded history.