Hawaii Emergency Management Agency issued a news release on April 1 in preparation for Tsunami Awareness Month. In remembrance of the lives lost from the tsunamis that have occurred in Hawaii during our state’s history, Hawaii observes Tsunami Awareness Month every April and Hawaii Emergency Management Agency urges residents to be ever vigilant.

One of the deadliest tsunamis to hit Hawaii was seventy years ago on April 1, 1946. Spawned by an earthquake in the Aleutian Islands, the devastating tsunami claimed 159 lives and caused more than $26 million in damage.

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency reminds us to be prepared. Hawaii’s location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean makes us susceptible to tsunamis at any time and from thousands of miles away. Earthquakes along the Ring of Fire, which circles the Pacific Rim, can trigger tsunamis reaching Hawaii within just a few hours.

We have local threats as well. Earthquakes or volcanic activity in or near the Hawaiian Islands generate tsunamis that hit land in a matter of minutes, which is why it’s so important to be tsunami-aware and prepared.

“During a tsunami threat, people only have hours – sometimes minutes – to move to safety,” explains Vern Miyagi, Administrator of Emergency Management. “For this reason, it is crucial that families and individuals have their survival kits ready ahead of time and emergency plans up to date so they can quickly respond and react in a safe and efficient manner.”

Residents and visitors located within a tsunami evacuation zone should quickly move to higher ground or inland until you’re at least 100 feet above sea level. To find out if you’re in a tsunami evacuation zone, enter your address into the Tsunami Evacuation Zone Map Viewer on HI-EMA’s website.

Cutter Automotive Galleries wishes you a safe Tsunami Awareness Month. To learn more about what’s going on in our community, you can contact us online.