ITIC Homepage Slideshow
April is Hawai'i Tsunami Awareness Month!
Hawai'i Runup Maps
http://itic.ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1647&Itemid=2693
Hawai'i Tsunami Travel Time Maps
http://itic.ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1625&Itemid=2692
Hawai'i Historical Photos
Get Tsunami Ready Now!
http://itic.ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2204&Itemid=3304
Hawai'i Historical Tsunami Effects (1812-2022) Poster
UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready
UNISDR Infographic. Key Facts
http://itic.ioc-unesco.org/images/stories/WTAD/UNISDR_WTAD_Infrographic_screenshot.jpg
Global Hazard Maps - Tsunami sources, significant earthquakes and significant volcanic eruptions map posters. (English)
http://itic.ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1672&Itemid=2698
Tsunami Awareness Poster - English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Singalese and French.
http://itic.ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1327&Itemid=2406&lang=en
Signs of a Tsunami. If you feel, see, or hear a tsunami, evacuate quickly to high ground.
http://itic.ioc-unesco.org/images/stories/WTAD/UNDP_SchoolDrill_signs_screenshot.jpg
VIDEO: 11 March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
VIDEO: Samoa Islands Earthquake and Tsunami - Effects in American Samoa
BOOKLET: Where the First Waves Arrive in Minutes - Lessons from eyewitness accounts of the tsunamis in 2004 and 2006.
http://itic.ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1678&Itemid=2314
VIDEO: 2004 Northern Sumatra, Indonesia Earthquake and Tsunami
BOOKLET: Tsunami, The Great Waves
http://itic.ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1169&Itemid=2017
VIDEO: 27 February 2010 South-Central Chile Earthquake and Tsunami
VIDEO: PTWS Tsunami Warning
VIDEO: Exercise Pacific Wave
VIDEO: Samoa Islands Earthquake and Tsunami - Effects in Tonga
VIDEO: Izmit Bay, Turkey Earthquake and Tsunami
VIDEO: Papua New Guinea Earthquakes and Tsunamis
VIDEO: ITIC informational video
Tsunami Glossary - Defines technical tsunami terms. (Arabic, Bahasa, English, French, Spanish).
BOOKLET: Remembering the 1945 Makran Tsunami
http://itic.ioc-unesco.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1933&Itemid=2624
Kauai video_slideshow.jpg
http://itic.ioc-unesco.org/images/slideshow/Kauai video_slideshow.jpg
AWARENESS, EDUCATION, ACTION
APRIL is Tsunami Awareness Month in Hawai'i !
Click each photo for more photos from 1946.
“Tsunamis are life changing events,” said State of Hawai‘i Governor Josh Green.
“It is imperative to know what to do to protect lives and property from tsunamis.
Being Aware, Educated and ready to take Action will save lives.”
“Tsunamis can strike with very little warning and devastate communities,” said James DS. Barros, HI-EMA Administrator. “With Tsunami Awareness Month beginning on the anniversary of the deadly April Fools’ Day tsunami, we’re reminded not only of the damage and sorrow it caused, but also that we need to be prepared for the next one.”
“Tsunamis can occur anywhere, at any time,” added Dr. Laura Kong, Director of ITIC. “There is no ‘tsunami season.’ Hawai‘i must always be prepared to take action. In our state, 293 people have been killed by tsunamis since 1900. 158 of those lost were from the 1946 disaster alone.”
“Tsunamis generated throughout the Pacific Rim of Fire in recent years from Tonga to Japan have left vast devastation in their wakes,” Dr. Chip McCreery, Director of PTWC, reminded. “We don’t know where or when a big event might strike. Preparing today will help us all to respond more quickly and effectively in a real emergency.”
2024 marks 78 years since the April 1, 1946, Magnitude 8.6, early morning Aleutian Islands earthquake that generated a tsunami that hit Hawai'i about 4.5 hours later, without warning. By 630 am, waves that would reach 53 feet high on the Big Island, 33 feet on Maui and 54 feet on Moloka`i, 35 feet on Oah`u, and 45 feet on Kaua`i, began arriving. Altogether, 158 persons lost their lives, and there was $340 million in damage.
By 1948, the US Seismic Sea Wave Warning System was in place and today NOAA's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) provides 24x7 tsunami warnings, advisories, and watches. During events, the PTWC works closely with the Hawaii State Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) and County Emergency Management Agencies (KEMA, DEM, MEMA, HCCD), along with the State and County Tsunami advisors, to assess the tsunami threat and advise the public on whether evacuation actions are needed.
Be Aware, Get Educated, Take Action!
Watch 2024 Hawai'i Tsunami Preparedness
(YouTube, Vimeo) video for the general public!
Hawai‘i Dept of Education - Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness Branch, University of Hawai‘i Sea Grant
Watch How Does a Tsunami Happen?
Honolulu Department of Emergency Management
Take Action. Get Tsunami Ready Now!
Follow these simple but important actions.
Plan Ahead, Be Prepared. Make sure you and your family know what to do and where to go!
Visit Hawaiʻi Information tsunami info
Visit Hawaiʻi Kids Information for kids tsunami info
Host Tsunamis Live! Schools can host a fun interactive Kahoot! virtual activity for Grades 2-6. Download flyer. Contact ITIC to schedule (itic.tsunami@noaa.gov).
Sign up for free Emergency alerts from the County you live in:
Kaua'i County (Kaua'i Emergency Management Agency, KEMA)
City & County of Honolulu (Dept of Emergency Management, DEM)
Maui County (Maui Emergency Management Agency, MEMA)
Hawai'i County (Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency, HCCDA)
Save a link to the Tsunami Evacuation Map so that, during an emergency, you can quickly find your best route to safety.
City & County of Honolulu
State of Hawai'i (all Counties)
CALENDAR OF EVENTS - 2024 Hawai'i Tsunami Awareness Month |
MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2024 O'ahu: Press Conference, 10:30 AM, Governor's Office, Governer's Proclamation, NOAA PTWC and ITIC, State of Hawaii and County Emergency Management Contact: HI-EMA Public Information, Daniel Rapkoch, daniel.j.rapkoch@hawaii.gov View News Conference here Statewide Siren Testing, 11:45 AM, Monthly testing of all-hazards sirens, accompanied by radio monthly emergency broadcast tests Hawai'i: Free Public Talk by Dr. Walt Dudley, Doors open at 5:00 PM, Talk starts at 5:10 PM, Pahoa Public Library, 15-3070 Pahoa Kalapana Rd, Pāhoa, HI 96778. Talk is titled "April 1st, 1946- Let us Not Forget Hawaii's Most deadly Natural Disaster" Doors. Parking is free and available. Contact: Pacific Tsunami Museum |
SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 2024 Hawai'i: Book signing appearance by Tammy Yee, Doors open at 10:00 AM, Pacific Tsunami Museum, Illustrator of Tsunami Quilt book and the Baby Honu; accompliced by book reading by Docent Dian Contact: Pacific Tsunami Museum |
THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2024 Hawai'i: Once in a lifetime Presentation by Dr. Alison Thompson, Doors open at 5:15 PM, Talk starts at 6:00 PM, Pacific Tsunami Museum, Dr. Alison Thompson, a dedicated humanitarian, has received prestigious awards such as the Dr. Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award and the “Woman of Peace” award. She served as a first responder during the 9/11 attacks in NYC and founded the non-profit Third Wave Volunteers (TWV), which has grown into a global network of over 30,000 volunteers. Following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, she co-founded a Community Tsunami Early-warning disaster Center and a children’s learning museum in Sri Lanka. Alison has worked with diverse communities worldwide, from indigenous tribes in Colombia to victims of wildfires in Maui. She will be giving a presentation at the Pacific Tsunami Museum on April 11th, with limited seating available. RSVP Here. Contact: Pacific Tsunami Museum |
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 2024 O'ahu: O'ahu Prepared Webinar Series: Safety, Science, and How You Can Be Prepared, Facebook Live at 7:00 PM, Join Honolulu DEM and special guest Dr. Chip McCreery of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center for "O‘ahu Prepared" to learn about how tsunamis are generated and what you can do to stay safe and be prepared. View Webinar here |
SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024 O'ahu: 2024 Science & Sustainability Festival, 9:00AM - 3:00PM, Bishop Museum Celebrate Earth Day at Bishop Museum’s Science & Sustainability Festival, which brings together Museum scientists, educators, cultural practitioners, and community partners to highlight the ongoing work needed to protect biodiversity and build a sustainable future in Hawai‘i. This one-day festival features keiki activities, workshops, exhibition highlights, special presentations, and interactive performances that offer a vast spectrum of opportunities to engage with current scientific research and sustainability efforts. Contact: Hawai'i: Celebrate Tsunami Awareness Month with FREE activities and a festival, Maybe even a dance party! More details to be announced as confirmed Contact: Pacific Tsunami Museum |
EVERY SUNDAY Hawai'i: Photo Scanning Days, “Help us digitize local history! Bring in your photos taken in tsunami associated areas (Hilo, waiakea, etc) (people, events, landmarks, holidays, and more) and let us scan it for our digital collection. We’ll give you back the original and your image will become a part of PTMs photographic record of our community. Loose, unframed photos up to 11×17 inches can be scanned, limit 5 per person, please!” Contact: Pacific Tsunami Museum |