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Tidal Waves in Hawaii
Approximately 50 tidal waves - also called tsunamis -
have been report in the Hawaiian Islands since the
early 1800's. Seven of them caused major damage
and two of those were caused by local seismic activity.
The most devastating tidal waves in Hawaii in recent
history occurred in 1946 and 1960, and in both cases
the worst damage occurred on the northeast coast of
the big island.
1946 Big Island Tidal Wave
This tidal wave originated in the Aleutian islands and it struck
Hawaii without warning on April 1, 1946. The wave
killed more then 170 people, mostly in Hilo and Laupahoehoe
where it reached an average height of 30 feet. The maximum height
of the 1946 tidal wave was 55 feet in the Pololu Valley.
There is a monument in Laupahoehoe Point Park to the twenty-three
students and four teachers who died in the tragedy. A sequence of
three tidal waves struck Laupahoehoe, and since the first two were
not deadly, school children were on the beach collecting fish
deposited by the first two waves when the third and deadly 50
foot wave struck, dragging them all out to sea.
1960 Big Island Tidal Wave
A tidal wave as high as a two-story building struck the Big Island of Hawaii
on May 23, 1960, after an earthquake in Chile.
Hawaiians anticipated a possible tsunami
on the far southern tip of the island, but the
tidal wave came ashore in Hilo and other parts of the northeast coast
instead. Sixty-one people were killed and the damages were estimated
at $50 million USD.
2 Articles by Ed Wall of the Hilo Tribune-Herald
1946 and 1957 Kauai Tidal Waves
Photos and information about the most desctructive
tidal waves to hit the Island of Kauai in recent history.
From the Pacific Worlds Web site.
Pacific Tsunami Museum
A museum founded in 1994 to display
scientific information about Hawaiian tidal waves,
photos of past tsunamis, testimony by tsunami survivors,
and more. The museum is also a monument to those who lost
their lives in Hawaiian tidal waves. The museum is located
in downtown Hilo on the big island of Hawaii at 130
Kamehameha Avenue.
Hazards on the Island of Hawaii: Tsunamis
Information about Hawaiian tidal waves
from the United States Geologic Survey.
Tsunami Flood Zone Maps
Big Island Tsunami Evacuation Map
Oahu Tsunami Evacuation Map
Maui Tsunami Evacuation Map
Kauai Tsunami Evacuation Map
Molokai Tsunami Evacuation Map
Lanai Tsunami Evacuation Map
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Related Links
Natural Disaters in Hawaii
The Islands of Hawaii
Forum for Visitors to Hawaii
Hawaii Travel Newsletter
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