HONOLULU ‒ The Hawaiian Islands were sent into chaos on the afternoon of July 29 as people braced for a tsunami warning across the state. Sirens blared every hour, urging people to evacuate the coastline as quickly as possible before the anticipated first wave in the evening.
The warning was triggered following an 8.8 earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake also triggered various alerts across U.S. West Coast, Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, but was expected to hit Hawaii the hardest.
The Honolulu Department of Emergency Management called for the evacuation of some coastal areas. "A tsunami has been generated that could cause damage along coastlines of all islands in the state of Hawaii," the agency said in a bulletin. "Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property."
Shortly after the initial sirens went off at around 3 p.m., the streets of Honolulu – including the tourist hub Waikiki – were congested as people quickly tried to move to higher ground and away from coastal evacuation zones.
Waikiki traffic quickly became a gridlock of cars trying to leave the beachside neighborhood, while some residents reported long lines at gas stations. Across the state, businesses and establishments like the Hawaiian Humane Society, immediately closed. Hotels near the coast started vertical evacuations to floors four and up, according to the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau at 7 p.m.
