Does Hawaii have an official evacuation plan should a tsunami strike the islands?”
Hawaii tsunami evacuation zones include all coastal areas in Hawaii at the moment with a tsunami expected to arrive in Hawaii today at 11:20 a.m. local time, or 4:20 p.m. Eastern time. Hawaii officials don’t expect all areas to be hard hit, but are taking extra precautions, as the wave can unpredictably loop around islands and cause impact. The Pacific Disaster Center is the best place to find maps of these Hawaii tsunami evacuation zones, as the Hawaii State Civil Defense Web site is currently having server issues. The tsunami is expected to hit hardest Hilo Bay on Hawaii Island and Kahului Harbor in Maui, according to geophysicist Brian Shiro. Tsunami waves in Hawaii could reach as high as six to 10 feet. In some places, they may only be two to three feet. Hawaii State Civil Defense is urging people to take the necessary preparation and not take the potential tsunami lightly. Oahu Emergency Management Department spokesman told the Hawaii Advertiser, “If you live anywhere in the evacu
According to Hawaii news, the Washington Post, and several other news sources, the state of Hawaii has begun emergency response plans in reaction to the Chile earthquake earlier on which could cause dangerous weather for the island area. According to a spokeswoman for the state Department of Defense Civil Defense Division, the matter is being taken very seriously. A Hawaii tsunami warning has been issued for the state, with the Hilo International Airport on the island of Hawaii shut down. Officials expect the storm would hit first there and are trying to warn residents well in advance of any potential hazardous weather conditions. Hawaii evacuation zones were set up in anticipation of dangerous emergencies such as this.
