“A tsunami warning has been issued.”
And with that, Hawaii—often a getaway for people looking to relax and enjoy the ocean—became the one place in the United States that you didn’t want to be.
This all comes following the 8.8-magnitude earthquake—the fifth most powerful on record—that struck Chile just two days ago. Despite the country being 7,000 miles from Hawaii, it took just 16 hours for reverb from the quake, in the form of massive tidal waves. Hotels were evacuated and schools were closed as the island chain braced for impact.
The first waves to hit were three feet tall—nothing to write home about, but nothing to scoff at either. It remains to be seen if that is the worst Hawaii will see, or a taste of things to come.
