April is Tsunami Awareness Month in Hawai‘i

Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency and other emergency management agencies across the state are promoting public awareness and preparedness in recognition of April being Tsunami Awareness Month in Hawai‘i.

“A tsunami can happen anytime, with limited warning. It can put you in immediate danger, cutting you off from family and friends. Understanding tsunamis and the appropriate actions to take should one occur is critical to your safety,” said Mayor Derek S. K. Kawakami. “Residents and visitors should know if you’re in a tsunami evacuation zone, whether working, out and about, or at home. Review Kaua‘i’s tsunami evacuation zones and have a plan should an evacuation be necessary.”

“In Hawai‘i, we observe Tsunami Awareness Month in April in remembrance of the April 1, 1946, tsunami from the Aleutian Islands, which came as a surprise as there was no tsunami warning system at the time,” said KEMA Administrator Elton Ushio. “Since then, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center was created and can now better advise Emergency Management and the public of potential tsunami threats.”

Banners with information regarding historical tsunami wave run-up heights are on display in the Moikeha and Kapule buildings. Maps of tsunami evacuation zones and preparedness information can be found on the county website, http://www.kauai.gov/kema.

To sign up for Blackboard Connect, the county’s emergency notification service, please go to the county’s website, www.kauai.gov, or call the Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency at 241-1800.