by George Curtis

The tsunami warning system was developed in 1947-48 by scientists of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey and others. Since most tsunamis result from earthquakes near or under the ocean, the scientists combined seismographs, oceanography, tide gauges, observers, and communications into a system which has detected every Pacific-wide tsunami since 1948. When an earthquake occurs, seismic waves travel through the earth and are measured, and the quake is located by instruments at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) at Ewa Beach, O’ahu, and other locations.

A tsunami is a series of waves 10 to 20 minutes apart generated by the heave and dip of the sea floor. As soon as the earthquake happens, tsunami waves begin to spread out at the speed of a jet liner, but are already being analyzed and queries sent to tide stations near the disturbance. (Some sea level gauges are telemetered to Honolulu and can be read directly at the Warning Center.) Since the speed of the tsunami waves can be easily calculated by knowing the depth of the ocean path they are crossing, the scientists at PTWC can check the observing stations at the estimated time of arrival of the first waves. The reports and data from the gauges are evaluated with consideration for the earthquake’s magnitude and depth, the history of tsunamis from that area, and the proximity to settled coastlines. In a few minutes, the scientists in charge must make a difficult decision involving many human lives and millions of dollars, and it must be a “YES/NO” decision. If they expect waves over one meter (three feet) high to impact an inhabited coast, they will advise the civil authorities in that area; it is up to them to handle the evacuation of “low-lying areas”. Because the waves travel about 500 miles an hour, they then advance the warning across the ocean to stay three or four hours ahead of the first wave, while evaluating the impact on the areas already affected to verify if the warning must be continued and expanded. 

The PTWC is operated by the U.S. and involves 26 countries which may send gauge data and receive the watch and warning messages. A local system is maintained in Alaska and issues warnings on seismic data alone for events near Alaska; there is not enough time to verify the waves as evacuation must be almost immediate. The PTWC provides the same service for local events in Hawai’i. The Japanese maintain a center for events in their part of the ocean, as do the Russians, with the evaluation method dependent on the time available. 

There are a few important things for Hawai’i residents and visitors to remember when there is a tsunami warning: if you hear Civil Defense sirens or see a TV message about a possible tsunami, turn on a radio and follow instructions. Don’t use the telephone! Instead, check the maps in the front of the telephone book to see if you are in an evacuation zone. If you are at the beach and feel the ground shake hard, you just received nature’s warning of a local tsunami. Run for high ground without waiting for sirens! If you want to read more about this application of science, see:

Dudley, Walter and Min Lee. 1998. Tsunami!. University of Hawaii Press. This book is available at the Pacific Tsunami Museum gift shop.

George Curtis is a tsunami research specialist formerly affiliated with the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research at UH-Manoa. He lectures in Marine Science & Physics at UH-Hilo and elsewhere and is a member of the Museum’s Scientific Advisory Council. George developed the tsunami evacuation maps that Civil Defense has placed in all Hawai’i telephone directories and is the Hawai’i County Tsunami Advis

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• Wilson, Jim (President)
• Harrison, Chris (Vice President)
• Yamamoto, Jerel (Secretary)
• Taniguchi, Barry (Treasurer)
• Costa, Kehaulani
• Kahawaiolaa, Patrick
• Mattos, Manuel
• Nagata, Stephanie
• Okamura, Patricia

Honorary Board Members

• Birnie, Ian
• Kitagawa, Brian
• Tallett, Willibroad
• Tsuji, Clifton

Scientific Advisory Committee

• Dudley, Walter, PhD, Chairman
• Curtis, George
• Kong, Laura, PhD
• McCreery, Charles, PhD
• Walker, Dan, PhD

Museum Staff

• Murray, Marlene (Executive Director)
• Gonzalez, Kini (Administrative Assistant)
• Muffler, Barbara (Archivist/Curator)
• Helfrich, Asia (Visitor Services)
• McGilvray, Nancy (Visitor Services)
• Lela, Imani (Visitor Services)

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^{Last Revised August 2017}

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We believe that through education and awareness no one should ever again die in Hawai‘i due to a tsunami.

The goals of the Pacific Tsunami Museum (PTM) are to promote public tsunami education for the people of Hawai’i and visitors worldwide, preserve the social and cultural history of Hawai’i, and serve as a living memorial to those who lost their lives in past tsunami events.

Vision Statement

The Pacific Basin has a long and dramatic history of devastation and rebirth caused by natural disasters. In general, most people are familiar with the destruction and loss of life caused by hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanoes. Unfortunately, the general public does not understand enough about tsunamis. Tsunamis have killed more people in the State of Hawai’i than all other natural disasters combined. Tsunamis are a fact of life in Hawai’i, especially in Hilo, which has suffered more damage and loss of life than any other area of the islands. From 1900 to 1964, a tsunami with runup exceeding one meter occurred an average of once every five years. On April 1, 1946 and May 23, 1960, Hilo experienced devastating tsunamis that completely reshaped the social and economic structure of the community.

Over the last 30 years, Hawai’i has experienced enormous growth in both resident and visitor populations, with extensive development in potential inundation areas. During this same time period very little destructive tsunami activity has occurred. Consequently, a whole generation of people has grown up without experiencing a major tsunami. Less than half our resident population and few visitors to Hawai’i have had any experience with tsunami hazards. Aging tsunami survivors, many of whom still reside within the State, are passing on. These tsunami survivors have invaluable stories to tell that can help document the cultural history and socio-economic development of Hawai’i. In the Hawaiian Islands, natural disasters, especially tsunamis, have played a significant role in determining where people live and conduct business. Currently, few tsunami education programs reach the general public or Hawai’i’s school children.

Description of the Organization

The Pacific Tsunami Museum (PTM) is a non-profit organization that works in collaboration with the International Tsunami Information Center (ITIC), the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC), the University of Hawai’i (at both Hilo and Manoa), and State and County Civil Defense Agencies. It was incorporated in August 1994. The Internal Revenue Service has granted the Museum federal tax-exempt status retroactive to August 1994. PTM has a policy-making Board of Directors that includes representation from various sectors of the business community (see organizational structure). Many of the board members are either tsunami survivors or come from families that were directly affected by past tsunamis. PTM also has a Scientific Advisory Council that includes internationally recognized tsunami researchers and experts. PTM has received in-kind support from the local business community, as well as many hours of support from a dedicated volunteer work force.

Museum Description

The Pacific Tsunami Museum (PTM) provides residents and visitors to the State of Hawai’i with much-needed tsunami education programs. PTM features a series of in-house permanent exhibits that interpret tsunami phenomena, the Pacific Tsunami Warning System, the history of tsunamis in the Pacific Basin, and public safety measures for tsunami disasters. One of the factors that makes PTM unique is that it is a living monument to those who lost their lives in past tsunamis. By combining scientific information with actual testimony taken from oral histories of tsunami survivors, PTM keeps history alive in its exhibits and public programs. Oral history testimonies reinforce existing scientific information and provide a perspective that will make the tsunami experience “real” for the Museum visitor. The Museum provides a guidebook to the exhibits that is also available in six foreign languages.

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^{Last Revised September 2013}

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