Ever so Clever:: tsunami

A little back story...

On our first visit to Hapuna Beach (just a few days into our two-week stay on the Big Island) we heard these LOUD sirens going off. I started panicking....Was it a SHARK that had been spotted? Was someone in trouble? WHAT? What???? Then a family member who does an annual trip to the island calmly explained to me that they're just doing their weekly tsunami warning system test (as in "This is a test of the emergency broadcast system...."). Ah. And then for a split second I wondered if tsunamis are really a problem here. Well, duh! I'm an Alaskan after all....I should know a little bit about tsunamis.

And little did I know that we'd actually learn first-hand what that actually all means.

After our sunset walk at the Energy Lab Beach on Thursday evening we read that a massive earthquake had just cause a massive tsunami that ravaged part of Japan .... and was headed our way.

Eeep!

The predicted time of the arrival for the tsunami wave was around 3am. Thankfully our rental house was up the mountain-side (at around 1000ft elevation) so we knew that we were completely safe. We did offer a safe haven for other family members who were staying on Ali'i Drive (which is right next to the ocean). Very early on Friday morning (3am? not really sure....wasn't awake enough to register the time) we could hear the tsunami warning sirens going off- requesting that everyone in the area evacuate to higher grounds.

We did not attempt to go near the beach on Friday (March 11) having heard that the surges following the initial tsunami wave might actually be stronger/more damaging. I believe that this was in fact the case. So no beaches for us! (instead we visited a couple of waterfalls and stopped at What's Shakin' for another superb fruit smoothie) We never saw the surges of water first hand. Safety First!

On Saturday morning our curiosity got the better of us adults. We had to see what had happened (if anything) to Ali'i Drive. We'd heard from a family member that our favorite restaurant (Bubba Gump) had suffered some damage and we assumed that they'd be closed for repairs. Nope! They were open for business but the servers did tell interesting stories of having to come in the previous day to clear up the mess that was left behind. Apparently the restaurant's signature red, white and blue plates were seen strewn up and down Ali'i Drive!

Before Tsunami (walking on wall on Ali'i Drive in Kona)

After Tsunami on March 12, 2011

pile-o-sand across the street...

We saw lots of boarded up shops (broken windows and doors).

Sand that wasn't there before (also across the street)

Damage done to sidewalk. Also notice all the boats out. Boat owners were asked to take their boats out of the harbor and sail on the open water to safely ride out the tsunami wave and surges. I'm pretty sure if they hadn't done that there would have been lots of damage done to those boats. (it is safe for boats to be out in open water when there's a tsunami- the place NOT to be is at the shore when the tsunami wave/surge hits).

The hotel in the background had water problems in their lobby and was having to move clients either elsewhere or to the higher floors (that's at least what I understood....I could be wrong).