[Vision2020] Hawaii Braces for Possible Tsunami

[Sue Hovey]

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for your concern.  I'm just now getting around to answering the 
emails.  It was  a strange, strange day.  We live at sea level, well maybe 5 
feet above.  Many on the Islands knew the tsunami was headed our way even 
last night, but we didn't.  The civil defense folks kept in touch with the 
hotel personnel and condo managers, calling every hour from midnight on.  At 
5:45 we woke up to a loud knock on the door and were told the sirens would 
begin going off in 30 minutes and we were to be headed for higher ground 
within the hour.  For those who had no place else to go, the parking lots at 
Walmart, K-Mart and Home Depot were being cleared for evacuees.  We were 
lucky a friend from Capt. Cook called and invited us there.  We were afraid 
we would hit a lot of traffic, but it wasn't bad.  A major worry of course 
is the lack of roadway in all the islands, but especially here on the Big 
Island, and a majority of the population and all but one of the resort 
hotels are scattered along the coastline, right in the tsunami zone. For the 
most part, hotel guests were moved to the top floors.  But some did have 
contracts with bus lines and moved guests and staff to high ground in 
Waikaloa Village and North Hawaii.

We spent the day watching the ocean.  For those of you who know the Big 
Island, we were on the high land just above Kaalekakua Bay and the Capt. 
Cook Monument.  The wave was projected to hit Hilo on the east at 11:02 and 
move to the Kona side by 11:30.  The prediction was that given the magnitude 
of the quake in Chile, if the tsunami hit it would simply wrap itself around 
all the islands, hitting on every side.  There were surges along all the 
coastlines, but nothing else.  We were extremely fortunate.  By late 
afternoon the roads were beginning to reopen.  We ate dinner with our 
friends and got home about 5:00.  Everything is back to normal, except the 
beaches will be closed until at least Tuesday because of unpredictable 
currents.

Ironies:  Every service station we passed had long lines--as though anybody 
can go many miles in any direction.  Several stations ran completely out of 
gas.  And Safeway ran out of milk.  One of the stores in Honolulu had a sign 
in front:  Limit 2 cases of Spam to a family.

Again,  thanks for your concern.

Sue

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 27, 2010 6:49 AM
To: "Moscow Vision 2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Subject: [Vision2020] Hawaii Braces for Possible Tsunami

> Question:  Is anybody in contact with Sue Hovey?
>
> Courtesy of CNN.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------
>
> Panic as Hawaii braces for possible tsunami
>
> (CNN) -- Sirens sounded early Saturday morning across Hawaii, warning
> people of a possible tsunami and telling people in coastal areas to
> evacuate.
>
> The sirens sounded at 6 a.m. local time (11 a.m. ET) to warn of a tsunami
> triggered by a 8.8 earthquake in Chile.
>
> "They're going to sound the sirens to air on the side of caution and make
> sure there's enough time to get people out of the evacuation zones, which
> are the coastal areas that may be affected," Brian Shiro of the Pacific
> Tsuanmi Warning Center said.
>
> Before it had become daylight, boaters in the Kewalo Basin area in
> Honolulu were already loading up supplies and were getting ready to take
> their boats off shore, CNN affiliate KITV reported.
>
> People rushed to supermarkets to stock up on food, water and other 
> supplies.
>
> "We got lots of water, we got our batteries, we got toilet paper," one
> woman told KITV, while she stood in a line with other shoppers and their
> carts stuffed with supplies.
>
> Asked if she was scared, another shopper said, "Very, very. We're from
> Georgia, so ..."
>
> Businesses in the area said they will be closed all day Saturday, the
> affiliate reported.
> Video: Tweeting during the quake
> Measuring earthquakes
> RELATED TOPICS
>
>    * Chile
>    * Earthquakes
>    * U.S. Geological Survey
>
> The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning, the highest
> level of a tsunami alert, for the entire Pacific region, including Hawaii
> and countries as far away as Russia and Japan.
>
> California and Alaska are under a tsunami advisory.
>
> Several tsunami waves have come ashore along the Chilean coast after the
> earthquake, which killed at least 122 people, USGS geophysicist Victor
> Sardina said.
>
> He said the largest was recorded at 9 feet near the quake's epicenter.
> Another wave, 7.7 feet hit the Chilean town of Talcahuano, according to
> Eric Lau of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
>
> Video from the town showed one car sitting in a large expanse of water.
>
> The Pacific Tsuanmi Warning Center said experts were possibly expecting 3
> to 5 or 6 feet tsunami waves in Hawaii, depending on the location. "It'll
> be worse in the harbors and bays," said Shiro.
>
> "Most places, it's not going to be huge."
>
> However, he said all coastlines could be affected. "The tsunami just wraps
> around the islands. and all coast lines, whether in front of the wave or
> behind the wave, will be at risk," he said.
>
> The earliest estimated arrival for a wave that could affect Hawaii is
> 11:19 a.m. (4:19 p.m. ET), according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning
> Center. Hawaii's Civil Defense Division, citing the warning center, said
> the first wave would be at Hilo.
>
> But evacuations of coastal areas were to begin at 6 a.m. (11 a.m.
> ET).Outdoor siren systems in each Hawaiian county will sound
> simultaneously then to alert residents and visitors to evacuate coastal
> areas, the state's Civil Defense Division reported.
>
> "They're going to sound the sirens to air on the side of caution and make
> sure there's enough time to get people out of the evacuation zones, which
> are the coastal areas that may be affected," Shiro said.
>
> American Red Cross spokesman Jonathan Aiken said the headquarters was
> keeping a close eye on Hawaii. Shelters there run by the local government
> but are staffed and stocked by the American Red Cross, he said.
>
> Two U.S. military officials told CNN that the military is trying to assess
> the threat of a tsunami to Hawaii to decide whether any of its assets
> should be moved. No decision has been made yet.
>
> In 1960, a tsunami triggered by an earthquake on South America's west
> coast, destroyed much of downtown Hilo and killed 61 people, according to
> the USGS.
>
> The earthquake had a magnitude between 8.25 and 8.5, the USGS said, and
> the waves in Hilo Bay reached 35 feet, but only 3 to 17 elsewhere.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------
>
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
>
> "The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
> and the Realist adjusts his sails."
>
> - Unknown
>
>
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