HANALEI, Hawaii — I have said it before, and I will say it again: Hawaii is not immune to natural disasters.
That includes tsunamis. And no, I'm not talking about the giant waves as tall as the Himalayas in Roland Emmerich's infamous film "2012."
Tsunamis have been a part of Hawaii's history, from the 1946 April Fool's Day tsunami following the 9.1-magnitude Good Friday earthquake in Alaska, to the 1960 tsunami after the 9.5-magnitude Great Chilean earthquake.
While the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Russia's Far East on July 29 didn't generate a 30-plus-foot wall of water like it did in 1960, it did cause some spectacular — and terrifying — things to happen, especially when it arrived at Hanalei Bay on the island of Kauai just after 7 p.m. local time.
🚨#BREAKING: Watch as a time-lapse captures the dramatic retreat of water at Hanalei Bay in Hawaii, receding over 100 feet from its usual shoreline. This marks the confirmed arrival of the tsunami in Hawaii, with the first wave now detected at Hanalei, following a powerful 8.8… pic.twitter.com/ddIdiuVrpF
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) July 30, 2025
Receding water is usually the first sign of a tsunami, and seeing the bay completely drain out, with the ocean floor and rocks exposed for over 100 feet, is definitely a scary sight.
That said, it created another core memory for me in a long list of tsunamis I've lived through in the 50th State.
To learn more, visit the U.S. Tsunami Warning Centers' website here, and please follow the directions of local officials in any natural disaster, especially tsunamis!
Have You Seen This?
Have You Seen This? The ole bagpipes in the office prank
Take note. If you want to pull off a great prank in your office, buy a kilt, learn how to play the bagpipes and then be ready for action at your next potluck.
