Tsunami Warning
I’m sure by now everyone has heard about the terrible 8.8 earthquake that happened in Chile last night and that Hawaii is now under statewide tsunami warning. I’m writing now to let people know that I expect to be fine. We live on Oahu and I’m more concerned for my family on the Big Island, where the wave will hit first.
The sirens went off at 6 AM this morning and since I went to sleep watching Battlestar Galactica I thought that the cylons were attacking. LOL! Once I realized that it was for real and not a test, I woke up freaking out, but since Mr. Pikko was just pissed that he got woken up early and already knew, I settled down. I wasn’t old enough to remember the sirens going off for real, so it was totally creepy.
As some of you know, I grew up in Hilo and growing up in that town it’s hard to ignore the lasting remnants from the big 1960 tsunami, which I wasn’t alive for. There’s an old green clock down on one of the Hilo golf course greens that is stuck at the time of the tsunami, frozen in time forever and an eerie reminder of the big wave. If you drive down past Hilo Bay, you can see along the park sidewalk there are occasional dips, those are old driveways where houses used to be before they got washed away. The parking lot of our family’s florist was completely cracked and falling apart, something I’m told is because of the tsunami debri.
If you’re worried, don’t be. I’m not. We’ll be cautious and safe of course, but I think we’ll be fine. Worry more for the people of Chile or the Big Island. I remember the 2006 quake that hit the Big Island in 2006. It was a 6.7 and shook the dickens out of our house on Oahu, 200 miles away. An 8.8 is significantly worse and no doubt terrifying. It is scary that the big 1960 tsunami was from another Chile earthquake, though.
When I was a kid there was a big tsunami warning. My parents packed us up and we all went to my Uncle Mike’s house because he lived in a hill and had a spectacular view of Hilo Bay. We waited and waited and nothing happened and as a kid I was like, “Aww, where’s the wave?!” It must be an age thing, cause Baby Girl asked me if we could go to the beach and watch it come in. This from the girl who screams at 1 foot waves crashing in, haha!
Anyway, to my fellow locals, take care and be safe! If you’re at Costco or Longs buying toilet paper, remember that whatever you buy, you gotta store in your house until you use it all up, so no go TOO nuts! 🙂