Ready & Waiting

On duty in Hawaii National Park early Election Day, Vulcanologist Gordon MacDonald noticed telltale marks on the seismograph. After some quick calculations, he phoned Hilo police about a severe and distant earthquake. Seismic sea waves, he figured, might hit the Hawaiian Islands in about three hours.

Meanwhile, Hawaii's new and elaborate tidal wave warning system had gone into action. From Arizona, and Sitka and Fairbanks in Alaska, reports from other seismographs were flashed to the Coast and Geodetic Survey's central clearinghouse for wave warnings on Oahu. The quake was plotted in the Kamchatka area.

On April 1, 1946, unannounced 45-ft. waves from an earthquake in the Aleutians area brought death and destruction to the Hilo region. This time, Hawaii was ready. Police swiftly called out all off-duty officers and reserves. Radio stations began transmitting bulletins every few minutes. In Pearl Harbor, naval vessels put out double moorings; flotillas of smaller craft stood out for the safety of the open ocean.

As the waves raced at more than 400 m.p.h. toward Hawaii, hundreds of residents of beach areas moved to higher ground, crowded mountain highways. At 1:30 p.m., three medium-size waves struck the northeast shores, washed over highways. One hour later, a 13-ft. wall of water thundered over Mokuleia Beach on northernmost Oahu, flooded several homes and stores. The four waves passed, Hawaii began counting up the damage. As in 1946, northeastern Hilo has suffered the most--$100,000. Casualties: six cows.

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