American host Oprah Winfrey has shut down claims that she blocked the private road for Hawaii tsunami evacuees.
According to Mirror, the producer's spokesperson has responded to claims she failed to open her private road in Hawaii after a tsunami warning following an 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Russia’s Far East.
Shortly after the tsunami warning and evacuation orders, people begin to flee to low-lying areas, causing a huge traffic jam in Hawaii, especially in Maui.
The videos of the chaos were shared on social media, and users allege that The Oprah Winfrey Show host, who owns a property on the island, "is still refusing to open her private road” that could help people evacuate faster.
A user wrote on X, “Oprah HAS NOT opened her private road from Wailea to Kula, Hawaii, which would allow coastal folks to reach higher ground quickly. Locals tell me OPEN THE ROAD, @OPRAH.”
“Massive Traffic in Maui with thousands trying to escape the massive tsunami coming. Open the road, Oprah,” another user added.
After widespread backlash on social media, her spokesperson, in a statement to different media outlets, clarified that the private road in Maui has been opened for the people for as long as necessary.
Oprah’s spokesperson told CNN, “As soon as we heard the tsunami warnings, we contacted local law enforcement and FEMA to ensure the road was opened. 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, one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded, an 8.8 magnitude quake, hit off the far east of Russia on Tuesday, July 29, triggering tsunami warnings in the US, China, Japan, and the Philippines.
