Hawaiʻi Information

April is Tsunami Awareness Month in Hawaiʻi.

Annually, Country, State, and Federal partners, along with the private sector such as the Pacific Tsunami Museum, team up for month of awareness events on tsunamis. In 2018 , the Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate joins us contributing Hawaiian language materials.  

Tsunami Facts is a statewide brochure, customized by County, and in multiple languages. The ʻFactsʻ are the most common outreach questions asked to the City & County of Honolulu, Department of Emergency Management. Languages cover the non-English speaking population, aged 5 and older who speak a language other than English at home in Hawaiʻi (U.S. Census Bureau, Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, DBEDT, 2016).

General Information on tsunamis in the United States and the US Tsunami Warning System services and products, can be found in the US National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program Tsunami Information Guide (2019).

This Hawai‘i Tsunami Preparedness Video was updated in 2025.
Topics covered are: 1) tsunami science; 2) local, distant and extreme tsunamis and evacuation zones; 3) tsunami alerts through the County emergency notification apps, the Statewide Emergency Alert System (all-hazard outdoorwarning sirens, the Wireless Emergency Alert System and the local media); and 4) family emergency preparedness, such as having an evacuation kit and a plan whether you are at home, work or school.

ʻōlelo Noʻeau ‘Iliki ke kai... Audio (courtesy Kauaʻi EMA) Signs of Tsunami  (Walker 2018)

Tsunamis in Hawaiʻi  (Walker, ITIC, 2013, 2020)

Hawaiʻi Historical Tsunami Effects 1812-2022   (NCEI, ITIC, 2015, 2022)

Distribution of Tsunamis affecting Hawai‘i (1812-2025) (ITIC, NCEI, 2025)	Tsunamis in Hawai‘i   (observed>3 ft)  (Walker, ITIC, 2013, 2020)	Tsunamis in Hawaiʻi (all observed) 18-12-2022 (NCEI, ITIC, 2015, 2022)
	Hawaiʻi Maximum Tsunami Runups (1900-2025) (Walker, ITIC, 2013, 2020, 2025)	Tsunami Deaths and Damage 1812-2022 (>$0.5 million) (NCEI, ITIC, 2015, 2022)

Tsunami Essentials historical observations of events (Walker 2017)	Tsunami Run-up Maps Kaua‘i historical observations (Walker, ITIC 2013)	Tsunami Run-up Maps O‘ahu historical observations (Walker, ITIC 2013)
Tsunami Run-up Maps Maui historical observations (Walker, ITIC, 2013)	Run-up Maps Moloka‘i & Lana‘i historical observations (Walker, ITIC 2013)	Tsunami Run-up Maps Hawaiʻi historical observations (Walker, ITIC 2013)

Tsunamis Impacting Kaua‘i, Hawaiʻi (View on YouTube) (video, ITIC 2018)	Tsunamis Impacting O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi (View on YouTube) (video, ITIC 2018)
Tsunamis Impacting Maui, Hawaiʻi (View on YouTube) (video, ITIC 2018)	Tsunamis Impacting Hawaiʻi Island (View on YouTube) (video, ITIC 2018)
Tsunami Vertical Evacuation, Waikiki, Hawaiʻi (video, UNDRR 2020)

Links

Federal / National

• Hawaiʻi Tsunami Warnings - Summary information
• Hawaiʻi Tsunami Warnings - PTWC Messages
• US TWC (PTWC, NTWC) Message Definitions
• US NTHMP Tsunami Information Guide
• Pacific Tsunami Warning Center  (PTWC)
• International Tsunami Information Center  (ITIC)
• American Red Cross, Hawaiʻi State Chapter
• USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
• Civil Air Patrol, Hawaiʻi Wing , US Air Force Auxillary

State 

• Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency  (HI-EMA)

County 

• Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency Management Agency  (including Ni‘ihau, KEMA)
• City & County of Honolulu, Dept of Emergency Management  (DEM)
• Maui County Emergency Management Agency  (including Moloka‘i, Lana‘i, Kaho‘olawe) 
• Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency (HCCDA)

Historical Information

• Pacific Tsunami Museum (PTM)
• Hawaiʻi Historical Tsunami Photos
• Global Historical Tsunami Database (NOAA NCEI, World Data Service)