In wake of the tsunami warning was issued on Sept. 17, following a high-magnitude earthquake near Chile, no major waves swamped Hawaii, and minor effects were recorded along coasts as far north as Alaska, according to the Associated Press.
Young Shin, a freshmen from Korea, said she is going to put together a 72-hour kit, in case of a future emergency. She also said, “The only emergency situation I have ever been in was a big wind storm that we had back in Korea. We stayed home from school because of the storm. Several of our windows broke in our apartment, and trees were falling down all around town.”
Abakai Taurabakai, a junior from Kiribati studying business, said, “Back home in Kiribati, tsunami warnings are common things and I heard them several times. So when I heard about these warnings, it did not make me very nervous because I have experienced warnings like these before. If a tsunami were to come, I would run for the hills.”
The Laie Emergency Brochure advises that, in case of a tsunami, community members should:
- Immediately go inland or to higher ground if you feel the ground move.
- Evacuate low-lying coastal areas if you hear the Civil Defense warning sirens
- Never go to the beach to watch for tsunami waves.
- If you are not in an evacuation zone, stay where you are and off the roads to avoid traffic build-up.
- Listen to your radio and follow the instructions of Civil Defense and other emergency officials.
Aaron Raj, a senior from Fiji studying ICS, said, “Back in Fiji I have encountered four or five cyclones, and I know how dangerous it can be and the kind of destruction the ocean can cause. Back in 2009 I had just returned home from my mission, and I was at work when a cyclone hit. I had to evacuate all of the people at work to a shelter to take cover from the winds and the rain. Me and my wife have canned foods, pasta, and water in case of an emergency.”
If you have any questions regarding Emergency situations they can be answered in the Laie Emergency Plan Brochure which can be found online on the BYU–Hawaii website. In case of a tsunami, the BYUH website directs us to five evacuation sites.
Tsunami Evacuation Sites
- Behind Tennis Courts and General Classroom building (GCB)
- Quarry
- Behind Treatment Plant
- LDS Temple Hill
- Gunstock Ranch
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center first issued a more serious tsunami watch for Hawaii shortly after the earthquake, which registered at 8.3 on the Richter scale. Officials later downgraded that warning to an advisory, saying no major tsunami was expected in the state, but they warned that sea-level changes and dangerous currents could pose a threat to those in or near the water.
According to the BYU–Hawaii website, “The U.S. government and state monitors potential tsunamis across the Pacific, but an undersea earthquake near Oahu could generate a destruction wave that could strike us literally within minutes.”