Hawaiians cram roads away from coasts as tsunami waves arrive

Many Hawaiians have heeded official advice to leave coastal areas, after a powerful earthquake thousands of miles away near Russia prompted a tsunami warning in the US state and other parts of the Pacific.

By Tuesday evening, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that waves several feet high were being recorded on the islands of Maui, Oahu and Hawaii, where the capital Honolulu is.

“Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property,” the centre urged, adding that the danger may persist for hours.

Governor Josh Green told people in low-lying areas to stay calm and move to higher ground, but later struck a hopeful tone, saying he had yet to see a “wave of consequence” in the state.

He noted that roads were getting busy as people evacuated their homes.

Residents on Maui, which was devastated by wildfires two years ago, were among those who moved to higher ground.

Other areas of the US west coast – including California and Alaska – have been making their own preparations while under a lesser tsunami advisory from the National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC).

An NTWC warning means that widespread flooding is expected or occurring, while an advisory indicates that there is a potential for strong currents or waves that could be dangerous.

Seismologist, Dr Lucy Jones, anticipated that the waves could damage harbours and waterfront properties in Hawaii – and possibly in California – but would not cause a catastrophic loss of life in the Americas.

The tallest waves could be several feet high in Hawaii, Dr Jones noted, but by comparison, they reached 42ft (13m) during a deadly tsunami in Japan in 2011.

But many Hawaiians are taking no chances.

David Dorn told the BBC taht he was no stranger to tsunami warnings, having lived a block away from the ocean in the coastal city of Kihei, on Maui, for 30 years. But he and his wife were treating this one differently.

“We try and take them all seriously, but most people kind of take them a bit lightly,” he said of the warning sirens that had been blaring since the first alert was issued.

He and his wife had evacuated to higher ground and were planning to spend the night in their van at an inland shopping centre.

Mr Dorn said that before leaving their home, he had moved his electronics up to their loft, hoping that even if seawater penetrates the building it would not reach the rafters.

His biggest concern was the traffic, especially if electrical poles fell and blocked roads.

“Traffic’s always a problem, and its getting worse. And it’s at its worst in any emergency like this,” he said.

Another Maui resident, Roger Pleasanton, told the BBC that the traffic was “like New York City right now”.

“I was going to go to the grocery store, but I think I may have to skip the groceries and get out of here,” he added.

As Maui prepared for the arrival of the waves, shelters were opened and water facilities were shut off to protect them from possible damage.

It had been 10 years since Felicia Johnson, a lifelong resident of the island, last fled from a tsunami. Late on Tuesday, she again found herself moving to higher ground.

Ms Johnson, 47, had watched the water level recede and then rise significantly – describing a pattern typically seen with tsunamis.

“It’s eerily weird,” she exclaimed, while packing her truck to spend a night with her family and friends in the mountains.

She compared the situation to the fire that hit Lahaina two years ago, devastating the island and its community.

“All I can do is leave the house. I’m leaving, so I’m definitely worried something’s coming. But I mean, what can you cry about?

“We went through this with the fires, and there was no warning, and it was just so devastating. Now, we have so much warning that if we don’t go it’s our fault.”