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Oprah Winfrey opens private road after facing backlash for blocking path amid Hawaii tsunami alert

Updated on: 30 July,2025 06:49 PM IST  |  Mumbai
mid-day online correspondent |

A massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Russia triggered tsunami warnings for Hawaii, Alaska and the Pacific Coast. Mid evacuation alert, Oprah Winfrey was accused of not opening her private road for safe passage. However, her spokesperson now clarified that the road had been opened and was being managed for safe evacuation

Oprah Winfrey opens private road after facing backlash for blocking path amid Hawaii tsunami alert

Oprah Winfrey

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Hawaii citizens were given warning to evacuate their residents after a Tsunami alert was circulated in the wake of an earthquake in Russia. Amid the crisis, television host Oprah Winfrey was accused of not opening her private road for citizens to travel safely and freely and she faced massive backlash. Her spokesperson has now issued a statement rubbishing such claims and stated how the road was accessible.

Oprah Winfrey faces ire of citizens


On Wednesday morning, a powerful 8.8-magnitude undersea earthquake off Russia's eastern coast triggered tsunami alerts. After this, American President Donald Trump had issued an urgent warning this morning to Americans in Hawaii, Alaska and along the Pacific Coast.



 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Oprah (@oprah)

Amid this, Oprah Winfrey is facing criticism online for allegedly not opening her private road from Wailea to Kula. Many residents are experiencing severe traffic congestion, and social media users are urging her to provide access to this road to facilitate safer evacuations. After this, netizens started slamming her for her act. "Massive Traffic in Maui with thousands trying to escape the massive Tsunami coming. Open the road Oprah," wrote a user on social media platform X. Users stated that if she opens this road, it would make it much easier for locals to get to higher ground to escape the upcoming tsunami. Another wrote, "Oprah Winfrey reportedly refused to open her private road from Wailea to Kula—a potentially life-saving route for many coastal residents attempting to evacuate as tsunami rapidly approaches Maui."

Oprah Winfrey’s team issues clarification

After facing such allegation, Oprah’s spokesperson has issued a statement clarifying that the road was open. “As soon as we heard the tsunami warnings, we contacted local law enforcement and FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] to ensure the road was opened. 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.”

For the unversed, Winfrey has been living in Hawaii for over 15 years and owns more than 2,000 acres of land on the island of Maui. She owns a farm, located on the side of a dormant volcano called Haleakalā. Winfrey had earlier opened roads in 2019 and 2023, to help people escape wildfires.

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