In the middle of the night on April 1, 1946, an undersea earthquake in the Aleutian Islands off the coast of Alaska triggered a massive tsunami that killed 159 people in Hawaii. Approximately 13,000 feet below the ocean’s surface, an 8.6-magnitude tremor was recorded in the North Pacific, triggering deadly tidal waves through the Pacific. The 1946 tsunami in Hawaii would never – and shall never be – forgotten. It’s one of the darkest moments in Hawaiian history.

Four and a half hours after the quake, United States Navy Captain Wickland was the first to spot the impending waves in Hawaii, 2,400 miles south of the earthquake’s epicenter.
Pacific Tsunami Museum/Wikimedia Commons
Captain Wickland, was in position on the bridge of a ship at 46 feet above sea level, which put him at eye level with the monstrous wave, which he described as being two miles long.
The waves engulfed the Hawaiian Islands suddenly and unexpectedly.
NOAA Website
In the city of Hilo, 32-foot waves overtopped the breakwater that was built around Hilo Bay in 1926, destroying nearly a third of the city and killing 96 individuals. A bridge crossing the Wailuku River was picked up by the waves and pushed more than 300 feet away.

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The houses on the main street facing Hilo Bay were washed across the street and smashed against the buildings on the other side.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Railroads were ripped from their roadbeds, coastal highways were buried, and beaches were essentially washed away. The surrounding Pacific Ocean was dotted with floating houses, debris, and even people.

In other areas of Hawaii Island, waves reached as high as 60 feet. A Laupahoehoe schoolhouse was crushed by the tsunami, killing the teacher and 25 students who were inside.
With its funnel-shaped bay facing the eastern edge of the Pacific Rim, Hilo is one of the most tsunami-prone locations on earth and is often referred to as the “Tsunami capital of the United States.”
KanoaWithington/Wikimedia Commons
The town was struck not only in 1946, but again in 1960, with waves reaching 35 feet high, and recently in 2010.
The tsunami was unusually powerful for the size of the earthquake, and many scientists are still baffled by the discrepancy between the tsunami's size and the relatively low surface wave magnitude.
Google Maps
Apparently, the earthquake was too small to spawn the huge waves, and many theorize that the earthquake triggered an underwater landslide, though evidence has not been found to support this theory.

Watch some chilling footage from that devastating day 70 years ago below.

After the devastating tsunami, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center was established in order to predict and warn residents of potential tsunamis across the islands. Headquartered in Ewa Beach, the center is one of two tsunami warning centers operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the U.S. The other center is in Palmer, Alaska.

Which natural disasters in Hawaii have you lived through? Which have you only heard stories about? Tell us in the comments!

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1946 Tsunami

Tori Jane | August 05, 2022

What are some amazing Hawaii tsunami facts?  

Tsunamis are one of those things that are simply amazing and totally mind-blowing when you start to dig into them a little bit. Some of the most amazing tsunami facts we know include gems of knowledge like the fact that 80% of all tsunamis occur in the Pacific Ocean in what’s known as “the ring of fire”, a famed volcanic field. When experiencing a tsunami, don’t assume the first wave is the worst one – they tend to escalate. Quickly. Some can travel up to 500 miles per hour, and they retain their energy, meaning they can literally move across the ocean and never lose that momentum. Yikes!  

When was the Hawaii 1946 tsunami, and how large was it?  

The gnarliest tsunami in Hawaii of all time (thus far) happened on April 1st, 1946. The tsunami was triggered by the historic Aleutian Islands earthquake, an intense, 8.6-magnitude shaker that killed almost 200 and did more than $26 million in damage. There had never been one quite like it and, thankfully, there hasn’t been one like it since – it hit the shore at 500 miles per hour with 30-foot-tall waves. We don’t know about you, but we’re okay with the fewer natural disasters in Hawaii there are, thanks.  

Does Hawaii get tsunamis often?  

Hawaii is located in the Pacific Ocean and, as a result, is quite susceptible to tsunamis. Luckily, the islands – and the folks who live here – are well outfitted for these natural behemoths, and we’ve learned to live with them instead of in fear of them. On average, Hawaii sees about one tsunami every year! Of those tsunamis, we average about one bad one every seven years or so, so the majority of tsunami events seen by the Aloha State are relatively mild. There is a lot more interesting weather in Hawaii than you might think, and the ocean plays a large part in that.  

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