On July 29, the Hawaiian Islands were under a tsunami warning, after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Russia. It was later downgraded to an advisory, and the following morning, it was canceled. While flights were disrupted, canceled or diverted, no major damage to the Islands has been reported.
"We have thankfully not seen waves as big as the scientific models predicted,'" the Hawaii Tourism Authority said in an update. The highest amplitude wave was in Kahului, Maui, at a height of 5.7 feet, followed by Hilo on the Big Island at 4.9 feet.
Once the advisory was canceled, county officials posted updates while giving the "all clear." On Maui, although flooding occurred near Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge, Maui County said no damage or injuries were reported. On the Big Island, SPC Hilo Hotel experience flooding in low-lying areas, including 10 hotel rooms, but cleanup is underway. Hawaii County mayor Kimo Alameda said the island was resuming business as usual, and roads and beaches reopened. Kauai County also lifted road closures.
On Oahu, Honolulu County mayor Rick Blangiardi thanked residents and visitors "for the high level of cooperation," he said in a Facebook post. "The real tragedy would be ignoring a warning that turns out to be life-threatening."
Blangiardi also repeated safety reminders for future reference, such as paying attention to official alerts from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and the City and County of Honolulu Department of Emergency Management; following evacuation orders; and signing up for HNL alerts.