Hawaiʻi has had a checkered past with tsunamis. The earliest in the archipelago's recorded history was in 1813. The deadliest was in 1946, when over 150 people were killed.
The last tsunami to cause damage came last year, when a volcanic explosion in Tonga sent a surge that impacted a snorkel tour company on the Kona Coast.
"Tsunami! Hawaiʻi's Amazing History of the Monster Waves" recounts true stories from tsunami survivors and includes photographs of past disasters.
Walter Dudley authored the book. He is a retired University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo oceanography professor and co-founder of the Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hilo.
He wants to remind people to be prepared for an emergency at any time.
"There are areas all around the Pacific where they normally have earthquakes, there had been big earthquakes in the past, and they haven't had any," Dudley said.
"We in Hawaiʻi are really the bullseye for all those tsunamis. So we really need to increase our awareness and our education."
"Tsunami! Hawaiʻi's Amazing History of the Monster Waves" is available through Mutual Publishing.
This interview aired on The Conversation on July 14, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
