The 1946 Hawaiian Tsunami
On April 1, 1946, a massive tsunami struck East Hawaii causing widespread damage as well as killing 160 people. The cause of this was an undersea earthquake off the Alaskan Coast. (This Day in History) “…13,000 feet beneath the ocean surface, a 7.4-magnitude tremor was recorded in the North Pacific.” A tsunami is a series of large waves generated by an abrupt movement on the ocean floor which could be caused by an earthquake. “However, powerful undersea earthquakes are responsible for most tsunamis,” states Voa News (What Causes a Tsunami?). Tsunamis have the power to, not only wreak havoc on land but, they can disrupt people’s lives. The 1946 Hawaiian Tsunami is an example of this horrific natural disaster. First, …show more content…
Joretta would arrive at the school campus at 7 a.m. Waiting for her friend to arrive and together they would walk to their teacher’s cottage. However, on this tragic day. Joretta’s mother made her stay home to practice the piano before leaving. Her father drove her to school and found “cars were driving up and people shouting, ‘Big waves!’ (Waves of memories) The teachers’ cottages were destroyed, swept from their foundations. Joretta’s friend, who was waiting on the back step of the teacher’s cottage, was swept to her death. Another person who experienced the tsunami was Herbert Nishimoto, a 16-year old sophomore at Laupahoehoe High School. After a class picnic a day before the tsunami a few kids spent the night in an empty teacher’s cottage. They all woke up to their classmate yelling, “Tidal wave, tidal wave,” (27 Hours Adrift: Surviving the 1946 April Fool's Day tsunami) Nishimoto responded saying, “… What’s a tidal wave? We don’t know what that is.” Herbert went to the beach to see the eels on the exposed reef instead of heading to higher ground. He was fascinated yet scared and wondered, “When is this gonna stop?” (27 Hours Adrift: Surviving the 1946 April Fool's Day tsunami) As the first wave arrive and destroyed a canoe and progressively rose higher, and higher. Nishimoto ran as he headed to the house. As the wave caught him, the house also collapsed
On April 1, 1946, a massive tsunami struck East Hawaii causing widespread damage as well as killing 160 people. The cause of this was an undersea earthquake off the Alaskan Coast. (This Day in History) “…13,000 feet beneath the ocean surface, a 7.4-magnitude tremor was recorded in the North Pacific.” A tsunami is a series of large waves generated by an abrupt movement on the ocean floor which could be caused by an earthquake. “However, powerful undersea earthquakes are responsible for most tsunamis,” states Voa News (What Causes a Tsunami?). Tsunamis have the power to, not only wreak havoc on land but, they can disrupt people’s lives. The 1946 Hawaiian Tsunami is an example of this horrific natural disaster. First, …show more content…
Joretta would arrive at the school campus at 7 a.m. Waiting for her friend to arrive and together they would walk to their teacher’s cottage. However, on this tragic day. Joretta’s mother made her stay home to practice the piano before leaving. Her father drove her to school and found “cars were driving up and people shouting, ‘Big waves!’ (Waves of memories) The teachers’ cottages were destroyed, swept from their foundations. Joretta’s friend, who was waiting on the back step of the teacher’s cottage, was swept to her death. Another person who experienced the tsunami was Herbert Nishimoto, a 16-year old sophomore at Laupahoehoe High School. After a class picnic a day before the tsunami a few kids spent the night in an empty teacher’s cottage. They all woke up to their classmate yelling, “Tidal wave, tidal wave,” (27 Hours Adrift: Surviving the 1946 April Fool's Day tsunami) Nishimoto responded saying, “… What’s a tidal wave? We don’t know what that is.” Herbert went to the beach to see the eels on the exposed reef instead of heading to higher ground. He was fascinated yet scared and wondered, “When is this gonna stop?” (27 Hours Adrift: Surviving the 1946 April Fool's Day tsunami) As the first wave arrive and destroyed a canoe and progressively rose higher, and higher. Nishimoto ran as he headed to the house. As the wave caught him, the house also collapsed