Hawaii Evacuation Videos Show People Fleeing Tsunami
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Videos show Hawaii locals rushing to escape low ground following a tsunami warning
Honolulu's Department of Emergency Management said there could be "destructive tsunami waves" late Tuesday, and told people to evacuate or seek higher ground.
Tsunami waves up to 10 feet high could hit parts of northern Hawaii, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, a powerful earthquake hit Russia.
Posting on social media, Hawaiians captured scenes showing cars stuck in traffic.
Footage, shown in the video above, filmed by Jennifer Kim shows lines of vehicles in Honolulu, as locals and tourists fled.
"The world here is in standstill because of the tsunami warning and everyone is trying to go inland but they are stuck," Kim wrote to her Instagram Stories.
Oahu residents evacuate Ewa Beach (main, right and left) to the side of Kunia Road in Kapolei, Oahu, Hawaii, Tuesday, July 29, 2025, and vehicles in Honolulu, as locals and tourists evacuate the area.
Oahu residents evacuate Ewa Beach (main, right and left) to the side of Kunia Road in Kapolei, Oahu, Hawaii, Tuesday, July 29, 2025, and vehicles in Honolulu, as locals and tourists evacuate the area.
Michelle Bir/Jennifer Kim/AP photo/Jennifer Kim
A traffic jam forms in Honolulu Tuesday, July 29, 2025 as people heed a tsunami evacuation warning that coincided with rush hour following a powerful earthquakes in Russia's Far East early Wednesday.
A traffic jam forms in Honolulu Tuesday, July 29, 2025 as people heed a tsunami evacuation warning that coincided with rush hour following a powerful earthquakes in Russia's Far East early Wednesday.
AP Photo
Lines of vehicles were shown stuck in traffic near Waikiki Beach, footage filmed by Bobby Anderson showed.
Live traffic cameras later showed quiet scenes on normally busy quite streets in Honolulu.
The tsunami warning followed an 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green urged residents to evacuate all coastal areas immediately, warning them not to underestimate the threat. "It will not hit one beach, it will wrap around the islands," he said.
Traffic cameras show quiet scenes on the normally busy junction of Ala Moana and Kahanamoku.
Traffic cameras show quiet scenes on the normally busy junction of Ala Moana and Kahanamoku.
honolulu.gov
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
HI-EMA looking to make infrastructure improvements following tsunami warning gridlock
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency is looking at strategies to deal with issues like gridlock, which was widely experienced during July 29's tsunami warning in the islands. Solutions, such as more lanes to hep drivers head mauka, are being examined, so that in the event of a large-scale emergency, people can safely — and efficiently — evacuate. Department of Emergency Management: Make sure you're prepared for future emergencies 'In other incidents where they're trying to return home and shelter, roadways could be contraflowed in one direction, heading to the west Oʻahu side,' said Don Aweau, the executive officer of the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency. In addition to opening more methods of travel, the agency says keeping unnecessary traffic off the roads is also essential. According to the agency, most evacuation zones can be exited by walking or biking the short distance it takes to get out of harm's way. In addition, vertical evacuation, such as going to the fourth floor or higher in a tall building, is safe to addition to changes on the island, the agency is also looking to make digital changes for disaster preparedness. They say that they will be working on improving computer server capacity for Hawaiʻi's disaster readiness website, which saw frequent interruptions during the warning period as people tried to get information. Critical resources, such as evacuation maps, were not readily available to some users due to the increase in traffic. Find more Hawaii, Oahu, Maui and Kauai news here For future emergency situations, the state is continuing to encourage the public to have a disaster plan and craft that plan well in advance. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Newsweek
17 hours ago
- Newsweek
Cruise Line Accused of Leaving Tourists 'Stranded' in Tsunami Speaks Out
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. "It's crazy, it's chaos, nobody knows what's going on," said one cruise passenger on TikTok after she was left ashore in Hawaii when her cruise ship departed early due to a tsunami warning triggered by a powerful earthquake off the coast of Russia. On July 29, 2025, the State of Hawaii declared a state of emergency and issued a tsunami warning following an 8.8-magnitude earthquake east of Petropavlovsk, Russia. In response, Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America cut its visit to Hilo short, pulling away from the port at 4 p.m., two hours earlier than planned, and leaving a number of guests ashore. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) told Newsweek: "On July 29, 2025, the State of Hawaii declared a state of emergency and issued a tsunami warning following an 8.8-magnitude earthquake east of Petropavlovsk, Russia. As such, in response to local emergency procedures and to prioritize the safety of our guests and crew, Pride of America was required to depart Hilo, Hawaii, immediately. The ship departed at 4 p.m. local time, two hours ahead of its scheduled departure time of 6 p.m. Before departure, all guests were notified via SMS and advised to seek higher ground and follow instructions from local authorities if they were unable to return to the ship in time for its departure. Guests participating in NCL shore excursions were brought directly to a local high school, a designated safe location in Hilo, where refreshments were provided for their comfort and well-being. As a precaution and due to the temporary port closure, Pride of America has remained at sea, a safer location in situations such as this. The tsunami warning has since been lifted, allowing for the affected ports to gradually reopen. Hilo Harbor, however, requires a safety assessment before it can receive clearance from local authorities and the U.S. Coast Guard. This assessment is scheduled to take place in the early morning of July 30, 2025, local Hawaii time, at which point our guests will reboard the ship. We continue to monitor the situation closely and will provide updates as they become available." While the ship waited offshore overnight, those left behind described online their confusion, fear and frustration. Videos posted to TikTok quickly painted a vivid picture of the panic. One TikTok user, @danifreeman, was on the boat when it departed, but posted footage of passengers walking away from the dock as the ship pulled out, writing in a caption: "POV [point of view]: tsunami in Hawaii and your cruise is leaving without people." In the caption, she added: "Actually insane. We are going to be in the middle of the tsunami in the ocean." Another user, @mandythecruiseplanner, has shared her firsthand experience of missing the ship, writing in one video caption: "the ship is leaving us." She later shared a screengrab of the text the cruise line sent, informing passengers the ship would be departing immediately and to seek high ground. "Another stranded passengers on Pride of America update," Mandy wrote in the video before telling her followers: "Our bus driver had no idea what's happening. People on the ship, we have family on the ship, they're terrified for us. We're terrified for us." A screengrab from a video a passenger took as the ship leaves the port in Hawaii and people are seen running to get to the vessel. A screengrab from a video a passenger took as the ship leaves the port in Hawaii and people are seen running to get to the vessel. @demifreeman/TikTok In a follow-up video, filmed from the local high school where guests are being housed for the night, Mandy described how they were later taken to safety and provided with supplies. "We're trying to find the joy and the humor in this. We obviously didn't plan to go to Hawaii and live out a tsunami; that was not the plan. I'll tell you what: I sure wouldn't have booked that excursion, that's for sure," she said. The tsunami warning for Hawaii has since been lifted, and the affected ports are now beginning to reopen. Hilo Harbor remains closed pending a safety assessment by local authorities and the U.S. Coast Guard. Once cleared, stranded guests are expected to rejoin the ship. Newsweek has reached out to @mandythecruiseplanner and @danifreeman via TikTok for further comment.
USA Today
18 hours ago
- USA Today
Video shows major gridlock in Hawaii after tsunami warnings: 'Cars and cars waiting'
A magnitude 8.8 earthquake, one of the strongest in recorded history, struck off of the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula July 29 triggering tsunami alerts across Alaska, Hawaii and the west coast of the contiguous United States. Warnings, advisories and watches were issued by the National Tsunami Warning Center in the wake of the quake that struck around 7:24 p.m. ET, about 78 miles east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Shortly after the initial tsunami warning, sirens went off at around 3 p.m. local time in Hawaii. The streets of Honolulu, including the tourist hub Waikiki, were congested as people quickly tried to move to higher ground and away from coastal evacuation zones. Some reported long lines at gas stations, as sirens continued to go off on the hour to the estimated first wave. Live updates: Evacuation orders lifted in Hawaii hours after tsunami waves reach state's shores 'Cars and cars waiting' Video footage from Honolulu shows a gridlock of cars on the streets of Honolulu as residents try to head toward higher ground. The Honolulu Department of Emergency Management had called for the evacuation of coastal areas. "A tsunami has been generated that could cause damage along coastlines of all islands in the state of Hawaii," the agency said in a bulletin. "Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property." Tsunami waves reached Hawaii after 7 p.m. local time, but their small size in initial observations heartened officials who had been bracing for major damage in the state. By 10:45 p.m., authorities announced that the Tsunami Warning System had downgraded risk to the state from a tsunami warning to an advisory. There were no reports of major damage. What tourists should know: Tsunami warning downgraded in Hawaii, but dangers remain Evacuation order lifted "I spoke to Governor of Hawaii @GovHawaii and the evacuation order has been for lifted for coastal inundation zones," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on social media. "Please be careful be careful (sic) when returning and watch out for damage. We will continue to monitor in Hawaii, Alaska, and California." State emergency management officials said widespread flooding was not expected and that residents of evacuated areas could return home. But they urged Hawaiians to "remain cautious in or near the water. ... Stay away from beaches, shorelines, and out of the ocean." Tsunamis can cause a long series of waves, extensively flood coastal areas and present dangers that continue for many hours. Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver, Thao Nguyen, Will Carless, Kathleen Wong, Joel Shannon, John Bacon, Jeanine Santucci / USA TODAY Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
