The tsunami racing towards Hawaii right now, set off by the 8.8-magnitude earthquake near Chile's capital, appears poised to strike the city of Hilo first and hardest.
Current predictions by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) show waves of a little more than 8 feet headed for Hilo. The first wave is expected to strike at about 4:05 p.m. EST. The NOAA does stress on its website that these are only estimates.
This wouldn't mark the first time massive waves have battered Hilo. On May 23, 1960, a tsunami triggered by an earthquake measuring more than 8.0 off the coast of Chile (sound familiar?) deluged Hilo with waves as high as 35 feet, destroying much of the city's downtown and killing 61 people.
The tsunami that struck Hilo on April 1, 1946 may have been even worse. A quake near the Aleutian Islands sent 30-foot waves that ravaged the city. Approximately 159 people were killed in Hawaii, many of them in Hilo.
The good news? The waves in 1946 and 1960 were considerably higher than what's expected today. Additionally, the loss of life was in part attributed to a lack of a warning system in 1946, and a failure of residents to heed the warnings in 1960. In contrast, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reports Hilo closed its airport as of 11 a.m. EST, and the state Department of Transportation mobilized vessels and crew this morning to clear the harbor areas. So, hopefully Hilo is prepared to avoid as much damage as possible.
i dont think its affected them to badly, i hope so anway
Quote:
A tsunami triggered by the Chilean earthquake raced across the Pacific Ocean Saturday, but the waves that rolled ashore in Hawaii were barely noticeable.
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Scientists had predicted waves up to 9 feet on some Hawaiian shores, but that did not appear to be materializing at 4:40 p.m.
The first waves were to have struck Hilo, on the Big Island, at about 4:05, and the Honolulu area at about 4:37, but multiple news agencies were broadcasting televised images of abandoned, placid beaches. Local radio reported small changes in water levels, but that could be attributed to an incoming tide.
Other Pacific Islands saw surges of 6 to 7 feet, but damage has not been reported.
Scientists warn the waves will be arriving for several hours, and sea levels could continue to rise.
I was actually watching the live broadcast on MSNBC.
A good number of the inhabitants were already situated on the cliffs. I'm not sure if they were there for higher ground or not. They all seemed to be pretty relaxed.
stuff like this really puts things into perspective, doesnt it?? all these stan wars and fights about what song is better and what for?? people are dying out there ... =/
stuff like this really puts things into perspective, doesnt it?? all these stan wars and fights about what song is better and what for?? people are dying out there ... =/
Exactly. People on this site would rather worship a false God aka Gaga than realize what's more important.
^^^ well thats what i do tbh, plus isnt that the point of this site? but anyway, i think that when something like this happens, it just shows us all that our fights over gaga being better than beyonce or vice versa aren;t important at all. we just get to lost in the fight lool :P
i know i sound really hipocritical in this post, but i just cant explain what i mean very well haha
