# tsunami warning [merged]



## PearlCity (Oct 28, 2012)

Leaving ko olina now. Tsunami warning for Hawaii.


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Oct 28, 2012)

There was a 7.7 quake in the Queen Charlotte Islands off the coast of British Columbia, north of Vancouver Island.


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## jsfletch (Oct 28, 2012)

We're in Kolina (Kai Lani). We'll stay. About 50' above the ocean. Worried about the homeless guy who lives in a cave below Kahe Pt.


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## jsfletch (Oct 28, 2012)

Fire truck with loud speaker on Farrington Hwy notifying everyone to evacuate. Hope the homeless heard the warning.


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## PearlCity (Oct 28, 2012)

jsfletch said:


> We're in Kolina (Kai Lani). We'll stay. About 50' above the ocean. Worried about the homeless guy who lives in a cave below Kahe Pt.



I would stay too if I was staying there.  I live on Oahu and was out there for a wedding. You should be fine. Be safe!


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## Ann in CA (Oct 28, 2012)

*Tsunami due in about 10 minutes*

We left Maui Ocean Club this morning, and are now at HGVC Waikoloa, watching the news reports of the tsunami evacuations.  Maui Ocean Club is in the "inundation zone"' and so is Waiohai, and I would guess Ko Olina as well, although I have not yet looked it up on the noaa web site.

They did report that Koloa school (near Waiohai) was already full, and they were opening another ecacuation center in Kaleheo, as well as many other sites on the islands.  

Very close to the predicted time, hope it is less than they expected.  It very well could be, but they can't take chances!


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## Ann in CA (Oct 28, 2012)

Here at HGVC Waikoloa, the Oahu TV news is reporting tsunami evacuation warnings on all islands. They are saying a 6-7 foot wave (or surge) is expected in Maui at Kahului Harbor, which could be among the most vulnerable areas.  We left Maui Ocean Club this morning, and the noaa web site shows it in the inundation zone.  Also they reported Koloa School evacuation center already full and I think Marriott Waiohai (also in noaa's inundation zone) at Poipu was evacuated in 2010.

It is now past the predicted arrival time with only slight evidence of change reported on the news so far. Let's hope it stays that way!


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## frank808 (Oct 28, 2012)

Checked in at 7:00 pm into lagoon tower and went up to room.  Heard the siren about 35 minutes later.  Heard the warning sirens and thought what the hell is going on.  Turned on the news and said to evacuate flood zones.  So instead went out to dinner.  Returned to HHV at 10:45 since there was no surge or tsunami.  Parked the car and tried to get to our room. Elevators are all SHUT DOWN.  Directed to the Hale Kipa Loungs where I am now typing this on their computer.  Am stuck up here until the all clear with about 30 guests and 10 employees that were evacuated.  

If I am stuck here for more than an hour, I am going to walk up 36 flights of stairs to get to bed! :annoyed::zzz:


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## pedro47 (Oct 28, 2012)

I am praying you are OK !!


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## PearlCity (Oct 28, 2012)

frank808 said:


> Checked in at 7:00 pm into lagoon tower and went up to room.  Heard the siren about 35 minutes later.  Heard the warning sirens and thought what the hell is going on.  Turned on the news and said to evacuate flood zones.  So instead went out to dinner.  Returned to HHV at 10:45 since there was no surge or tsunami.  Parked the car and tried to get to our room. Elevators are all SHUT DOWN.  Directed to the Hale Kipa Loungs where I am now typing this on their computer.  Am stuck up here until the all clear with about 30 guests and 10 employees that were evacuated.
> 
> If I am stuck here for more than an hour, I am going to walk up 36 flights of stairs to get to bed! :annoyed::zzz:



Ok that's messed up that the elevators were shut down!


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## jsfletch (Oct 28, 2012)

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Sunday October 28, 2012, 1:33 AM
Department of Emergency Management
Public Safety, Public Trust

Advisory: Oahu Tsunami Advisory replaces Tsunami Waring. It is now safe to return home #hitsunami
Hi John Fletcher,
Department of Emergency Management 
October 28, 2012 
For Immediate Release 

Tsunami Advisory announced for City and County of Honolulu 

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has downgraded the Tsunami Warning to a Tsunami Advisory. 

Based on the best available data from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center it is now safe for evacuated residents to return home. 

This announcement is declared for the coastal areas on Oahu only. Boaters at sea and harbor users should wait for official information from the United States Coast Guard, Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources and Hawaii State Department of Transportation – Harbors Division before returning to ports. 

Unusual currents could continue for a significantly longer period. Residents and visitors are advised to stay off of beaches until notified that it is safe to do so by the City and County of Honolulu.
For full details, view this message on the web.
Sent by Department of Emergency Management
650 S King St, Basement, Honolulu, HI 96813
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## SOS8260456 (Oct 28, 2012)

pedro47 said:


> I am praying you are OK !!



Plus one!.....


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## Beaglemom3 (Oct 28, 2012)

I have total recall of those sirens wailing when I lived in Hawaii. Chilling, especially in the middle of the night.


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## jancurious (Oct 28, 2012)

We were in an oceanfront first floor villa at the Waiohai.  Around 8:25 pm Waiohai left everyone a message on our phones saying a tsunami warning had just been issued and we may need to evacuate on a moment's notice.  At 9:10 pm they came to our doors giving us a map to drive to the baseball park that is just north of Koala.  

We drove there.  The roads were packed with cars.  Everyone just parked either in the baseball lot or around the shoulders of the road.  My husband and I put our seats back and took a nap for an hour or so.  Around 1:45 a.m., the radio said that the warning had been down graded to an advisory and we could return to our homes and hotels.  Everyone drove back and went to bed.

It was a night to remember!  So glad it was pretty uneventful!

Jan


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## Ann in CA (Oct 28, 2012)

Was a "Better safe than sorry" event apparently.  I stayed up to watch the news after it was expected, and they were still warning people not to go back. Here at Waikoloa we were never in the evac area, so concern was for all those closer to the shore.  Very interesting looking at the noaa maps to see areas we know well,  and how far inland the waters might have gone. 

Now more excitement today when we get to watch the SF Giants try to finish off the Tigers.  We hope they do it today so we can concentrate on Hawaii full time!


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## DeniseM (Oct 28, 2012)

My Bro. and SIL are on Kauai in our TS this week (Kauai Beach Villas.)  This was their first trip to Hawaii, and they were having a fabulous time, but the Tsunami warning really scared my SIL and my Bro. says he doesn't think she will ever go back.  I feel terrible about that.


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## emt (Oct 28, 2012)

We are at Maui Ocean Club, check out shortly- quite a memorable last night. Hailing from the west coast, (my parents actually live on the WA coast but are here with us, they felt safer in HI last night!) we figured most action here was an exercise in caution. Floors 1-3 evacuated about 8 or 9pm (very happy to be floor 5!). Ground floor not 're-homed' until about 1am. Interesting intercom system used for updates...announcer definitely started evening with a note of panic in voice but calmed through the evening. Our 6yr old was a bit scared, and has lots of questions today...but the smaller tykes slept through all the buzz. 

Glad our experience was more 'drill' than reality!


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## DeniseM (Oct 28, 2012)

My BIL & SIL were in Kapa'a when the sirens went off, and I guess a lot of people panicked and acted stupid.  There was gridlock and accidents and people abandoning their cars in the middle of the road.  I would assume these people were tourists.    

They got back in the TS about 3 a.m.  There was no damage at Kauai Beach Villas, but you could see where the wave pushed the driftwood and normal debris up higher on the beach, and today the water is murky.  The ocean front TS's there are up on a berm, and probably 10-15 ft. above the water.


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## Kauai Kid (Oct 28, 2012)

frank808 said:


> Checked in at 7:00 pm into lagoon tower and went up to room.  Heard the siren about 35 minutes later.  Heard the warning sirens and thought what the hell is going on.  Turned on the news and said to evacuate flood zones.  So instead went out to dinner.  Returned to HHV at 10:45 since there was no surge or tsunami.  Parked the car and tried to get to our room. Elevators are all SHUT DOWN.  Directed to the Hale Kipa Loungs where I am now typing this on their computer.  Am stuck up here until the all clear with about 30 guests and 10 employees that were evacuated.
> 
> If I am stuck here for more than an hour, I am going to walk up 36 flights of stairs to get to bed! :annoyed::zzz:



I was on Kauai once during a Kona storm.  The whole island lost power!!  Some places for a few hours, a few for several days.

They might have shut down the elevators to avoid trapping folks in the elevator if their had been a power failure for a few hours or several days.  The electrical grid on the islands isn't real robust.  Believe I'd rather be in the Hale Kipa Lounge than trapped in an elevator that wouldn't move.

Sterling


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## BevL (Oct 28, 2012)

A little closer to the actual action, we were watching the 11:00 news last night which of course was entirely about the earthquake.  Frankly, the geologists and professionals they were interviewing seemed pretty confused about a full out alert for Hawaii pretty much immediately.  From what we could gather, there were extremely minimal evacuations along the B.C. coast, although it's not a highly populated area up there.

I know hindsight is 20/20 but it seems it might have been a bit of an early push of the panic button.

Glad everyone that was in any way impacted is okay.  There were no injuries and minimal damage near actual quake although some of the video footage was pretty impressive.


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## daventrina (Oct 29, 2012)

We were at Kupanaha walking back to KBC in front of the Westin when the siren went off. Our weather radar app had posted an alert on the phone.

5:30 earthquake ... 500 mph... figured it would hit at 10ish.

This is one if the reasons we always get an upper floor.

The model predicted a 10:28 arrival of a 6 foot wave at Kahului.
Impressive that the model only missed by a few minutes and one foot.

We waited for the arrival on the eighth floor at KBC.
The first through third floors were at evacuated.
staff did an excellent job of handeling the issue.
Many folks buddied up and others were relocated.


As the waves came you could see a noticeable difference in the waves on the reef.
No real damage on Maui.

Had this originated on the BI ... it would have been difficult to react in the short time available.

The tsunami seems to have moved the shark that had been harassing folks and turtles on the otherside of the island to Kihei and closed a number of beaches on the south side.

The water wad rather messed up today and cancelled our diving. While we wanted to switch sharks at five caves ... ir was the friendly little ones we wanted to see. Not the mean ones with stripes.


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## yeereid (Oct 29, 2012)

We are in Princeville now, checked in yesterday early afternoon. We were at Tropical Dreams in Kapaa last night after dinner when we heard the sirens go off just as were walking to the shop from the parking lot. Owner told us that a tsunami warning had just been issued and that the entire island would be in a panic within minutes. Sure enough, we hit traffic immediately after getting our ice cream and had to wait just to get out of the parking lot. Long lines at all of the gas stations on the way home. He said since we were in Princeville, we didn't need to worry about evacuating due to the elevation. Today seemed to be business as usual.


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