A spokesperson for Oprah Winfrey is shutting down claims people were blocked from accessing a critical road on her Maui estate after tsunami warnings were issued across Hawaii on Tuesday evening.
Following a massive 8.8 earthquake which struck Russia’s Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, coastal residents were advised to evacuate to higher ground.
Online, several posters claimed that one of the few paths able to usher locals to safety was a private road leading to Winfrey’s $60 million property was closed off to the public.
But representatives for the talk show host say the staff managing her estate did nothing to hinder access to the route, an easement which connects the coastal area of Wailea to the uplands of Kula and is owned by Haleakalā Ranch, not Winfrey.
“As soon as we heard the tsunami warnings, we contacted local law enforcement to ensure the road was opened,” representatives told HuffPost in a statement. “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,” it went on. “The road will remain open as long as necessary.”
The claim was corroborated by a public alert from the Maui Police Department which said that “Oprah’s road” was “open to get Upcountry.”
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported waves 5.7 feet above base height reaching Maui’s North Shore on Tuesday evening local time.
No major damage was recorded, and by late Wednesday morning, the tsunami warnings were downgraded to advisories, allowing residents to return home.