Reports of Tsunami Damage Scarce in Maui County

Life in Kahului was returning to normal after an overnight tsunami warning that forced the evacuation of low-lying areas. On Sunday morning, October 28, 2012, activity at Kahului Harbor was minimal, with no visible signs of damage along the shoreline fronting the Hawaiian Canoe Club. Photo by Wendy Osher,

By Maui Now Staff

The County of Maui released a statement this afternoon saying, “All Maui County departments are reporting no damage due to Saturday’s tsunami event according to Maui County Civil Defense.”

Authorities noted that reports of damage from the community were scarce after soliciting information and photos from the public.

A single Molokai resident informed county authorities that waves pushed a picnic table into the road in Honouliwai, and also washed up debris into the yards of residents.

On Lanai, a captain for the Lanai-Maui ferry reported two buoys in Manele Small Boat Harbor were pushed out of position, according to county reports.

The information was handed off to authorities with the Department Land and Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation, and the US Coast Guard.

Mayor Alan Arakawa today commended the community, the media and county workers for “working together and responding quickly to the threat.” However, the mayor urged the public to remain vigilant and to take every threat of disaster seriously.

“We are blessed that once again we have avoided the kind of damage that sometimes follows natural disasters, as we have seen in other countries in the past,” said Mayor Arakawa in a statement, “but that does not mean that we should be complacent.”

“Now is the time to prepare,” said the mayor.  “Get your emergency kits ready, memorize which areas are tsunami inundation zones, plan whether you need to leave your home or if you can offer shelter to others.”

“We had less than three hours to prepare for this last tsunami threat and we may have less time if another strikes again. So let us work together and be prepared,” he said.