Hawaii officials say no dam broke on the Big Island during Hurricane Lala, contradicting social media claims that spread after the storm — reassuring for residents near Pahala, though questions remain.

• The Kea-iwa Reservoir near Pahala, the only regulated dam in the area, is still intact and empty.
• Earthquakes damaged the dam earlier, so the state had already ordered the owner to keep it drained.
• Heavy rain and debris, not a dam failure, are believed to have caused the flooding.
• Maps circulating online were not accurate or to scale, making the rumors hard to trace.
• Three smaller, unregulated dams upstream are still being checked for damage.

Outlook: Officials are gathering more information on the smaller upstream dams, and results should clarify what actually drove the flooding.