Vulkan watch: Hawaii Tsunami Awareness Month

(Bivn) – From this week Vulcano Watch article, written by HVO geophysicist and seismic network manager Jefferson Chang:

April is a month in which deep layers of meaning contain on the island of Hawaii. April is the estimated time of the Merrie Monarch Festival-one one-week celebration of Hawaiian culture, language and art (especially the hula). April is also the Tsunami Awareness Month to remember past tragedies and strengthen our kuleana (responsibility) to protect our communities and our communities and our country.

At first glance, these two observations may seem separate – one, a joyful cultural meeting, the other a dark memory of natural disasters. But in the rhythm of Mo'omeheu (culture) they are deeper connected than most.

It is no coincidence that Tsunami Awareness is Month in April. It reminds of the most devastating tsunami to meet the state of Hawaii. The earthquake in Alaska from 1946 Aleuten in Alaska produced the April Ski Day Tsunami, in which 158 lives in Hawaii Nei and indelibly the city of Hilo.

Hilo, the home of the Merrie Monarch Festival, is a city that has risen from the tragedy. After the rest of the 1946 catastrophe, Hilo was again hit 9.5 by another devastating tsunami on May 23, 1960. The ʻāina here in Hilo bears the stories of loss and resilience.

The island of Hawaii fought economically after the destructive tsunamis in 1946 and 1960 as well as the declining sugar cane plantations. In order to use the growing tourism industry, the Merrie Monarch Festival was founded in 1963, but it was only in 1971 that the festival focus shifted to Hula and included a competition.

Today the Merrie Monarch Festival is more than a leading Hula competition. Although it began to increase the island of Hawaii as a means, it has become a cultural ceremony that maintains and repeats people's culture in Hawaii. Through Hula Kahiko, dancers become storytellers – conditions of the traditional memory. They tell of gods and goddesses, of kings and chiefs, of wind, rain and lava. And yes, they also tell of the power of the ocean – from Tsunami or Kai e'e and the lessons that were woven in Mo'olelo (stories) that were passed on from generation to generation. Hula is more than a dance – it is a container of knowledge.

Hawaiianer Kūpuna carefully observed nature. They understood the warning signs of an upcoming tsunami: the ocean, the unusual silence, the sudden shift of animal behavior. This “Maik Kupuna (traditional knowledge) live in her chants and dances, and many Hālau use Hula as way to preserve and pass on this wisdom. Wisdom or lessons are sometimes carried out of the tragedy.

Gathering in Hilo in April to honor Hula and celebrating Hawaiian culture is an act of healing – a memory that we are still here are still dancing and still passing on our stories. But the dangers associated with tsunami remain.

The coastal communities on the island of Hawaii have time to prepare for potential tsunamis of distant earthquakes. However, local earthquakes and large underwater slide can also lead to Tsunami that our banks can flood in a few minutes or ten minutes. For example, the earthquake of Kalapana from 1975, an earthquake of size 7.7 below the south flank of Kīlauea, caused damage both by shaking earthquakes and the subsequent tsunami. The tsunami had a maximum height of 6 meters in Halapē in Hawaii Vulcanoes National Park, where two people died, and it arrived less than a minute and a half after the striking of the earthquake in Punalu'u.

So the next time you look at Hula during the Merrie Monarch Festival, listen to the knowledge that is shared. Some will speak of Peles Fire, others of Lono's rain. And some may speak of Kanaloas Ocean – the waves that give lives and sometimes take away. Let's celebrate Hawaiian culture and remember the history of the “āina” with humility. With the knowledge of previous events that have affected our communities, think about what you and your Ushana can do today in order to be prepared for similar dangerous events in the future. Find out the official sources of information, you know the evacuation routes, bring your Keiki the signs and know the risks of your home.