Well, for those who want a bit more information about the tsunami hitting Kauai, I should be able to help you out. It was a bit crazy around here right after the news hit about Japan, and everyone was scrambling to protect their homes and property. Now, however, I can safely say that everyone is okay.

Kauai was the first of the Hawaiian Islands to be hit with the waves, a little over 6 feet tall and dangerous. Here is a little known fact: tsunami waves aren’t like normal waves. Not only are they quite a bit bigger, but they also have the tendency to wrap around an island, hitting it from all shores. This tsunami was no different. Each of our unprotected beaches was hit, and for hours the plethora of waves continued to pound our coasts.

The residents of many Kauai towns were evacuated on Thursday night and early Friday morning. From my house, I could hear the civil defense sirens sounding the alarm every hour until the first waves hit around 3am. But the evacuation didn’t last long. While several of the harbors were flooded and a few homes and businesses, the cleanup wasn’t bad and most businesses are back open.

Fortunately, no real damage was done. There were some minor inconveniences and some bad weather, but our island was relatively unscathed. Within a day, almost everything was back open again and day-to-day activities commenced. I couldn’t even get out of work. ☺ While it was a day that we will all remember and mourn for the devastation in Japan, I am thankful that it wasn’t worse here on our small island.