VIDEO/PHOTOS: Life on Hawai‘i Island has calmed down after a Tsunami Warning following an 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Russia on Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of residents and visitors from the coastline — and resulting in traffic gridlock for hours. But before the first waves of the tsunami were expected to hit at 7:17 p.m. on Tuesday, most motorists were out of the inundation zones. “For the most part, we achieved most of our goals,” Hawai‘i County Mayor Kimo Alameda said. “We got everyone out of the coastal areas by 6:15 p.m., which was great.”
On Wednesday, the limited damage was assessed and discussions already were underway on how to improve the traffic flow and speed up the process to those seeking higher ground. While no major damages were reported, Hawai‘i County crews are still assessing the flooding that occurred in parts of Hilo, including water entering SCP Hilo Hotel, at 126 Banyan Way, from the nearby Reed’s Bay. While water flowed into a few rooms on the first floor, SCP Hilo Hotel, formally the Hilo Seaside Hotel, remains fully open and operational.
“Throughout the night, our team worked with care and urgency to ensure everyone’s safety, comfort and wellbeing,” said Breeani Sumera-Lee Kobayashi, general manager of SCP Hilo. “We did everything possible to accommodate our guests, communicate clearly, and manage the situation with professionalism and aloha.” According to Kobayashi, the staff followed the county-led emergency protocols and swiftly removed guests from the affected area of the hotel. Once the Tsunami Warning was downgraded to an advisory, they allowed guests to return.
