By: Alfred Acenas
(EBC Hawaii-Pacific)
HONOLULU (Eagle News) – For the people of the Aloha State, the month of April is a time to honor and remember the lives lost in the tsunamis that have devastated their remote part of the world.
One of the earliest recorded in the Islands took place on April 2, 1868. A 7.9-magnitude earthquake south of Hawaii’s Big Island caused a landslide and a tsunami which claimed 77 lives.
Three-quarters of a century ago, on April 1, 1946, a powerful underwater earthquake shook Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. That triggered a tsunami that raced south toward the Central Pacific some four hours later.
The residents of Hilo on the Big Island were unaware of the imminent danger, which killed 159 people and caused over $26 million in property damage.
On May 22, 1960, a 9.5 megaquake off the coast of Chile in South America, also one of the strongest in the 20th century, resulted in a tsunami that struck Hawaii. Once again, the town of Hilo was devastated. The disaster left 61 people dead. The tsunami continued its westward rampage as far away as Japan and the Philippines.
Hawaii extremely vulnerable
Fast-forward to March 11, 2011. Eastern Japan was the epicenter of a 9.0 earthquake, so far the most powerful in the 21st century.
That quake set off a powerful tsunami with the entire Hawaiian Island chain at its direct path yet again. Although no lives were lost to the killer waves, the Aloha State did sustain significant property damage presently valued at $8.725 billion.
According to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA), the state’s location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean makes it extremely vulnerable to tsunamis.
Distantly generated tsunamis can reach Hawaii within several hours and are triggered by earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire, which circles the Pacific Rim.
In addition, locally generated tsunamis can be caused by earthquakes or volcanic activity occurring in or near the Hawaiian Islands. They can make landfall in a matter of just minutes.
Be prepared
“We urge all residents and visitors for incidents that can occur with little warning at any time of the year or day or night,” said HIEMA Administrator Luke Meyers. “You should also take this time to prepare yourself a ‘go bag’ that you can quickly take with you during an emergency situation.”
Additional information on tsunami preparedness is available on the website Ready.Hawaii.gov.
(Eagle News Service)