Terrified British tourists sprint to their Hawaii cruise ship as tsunami warnings ring out
Terrified British tourists were forced to race back to their Hawaii cruise ship after alarms were raised about an incoming tsunami.
The US state alongside the west coast of the US and Canada were issued warnings about a potential tsunami after an 8.7 magnitude earthquake hit the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia.
Rachael Burrows, from Macclesfield, Cheshire, is currently on a cruise off the coast of Hawaii and was touring the Big Island when warnings first started.
They were forced to rush back to the ship before it left for safer waters, but 600 holidaymakers were left behind when the ship departed.
She said she was first warned about the tsunami when an alert came up on her phone.
'Towards the end of the tour, as we were luckily heading towards the cruise ship, we started getting emergency warnings sign on our phones.
'The first one was tsunami you are in immediate danger, you need to move away from the coast to higher ground.'
Rachael Burrows was on a tour of Hawaii's Big Island when she was alerted to the risk of a tsunami
Residents and visitors found themselves backed up in traffic as they try to leave the the Ala Way Harbor, Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii
The tour guide was at first dismissive of the warning, saying they happened all the time and it 'won't be anything'.
Ms Burrows added: 'We started getting more through saying times when the tsunami would hit.
'He was going to stop at a chocolate factory that is famous on the island. As we pulled up to it, the traffic on the island was getting really bad which he said was unusual.
'As we pulled up to the factory the shop owner said we need to go.'
The tour stopped as more people were evacuating and the group were hurried back to the ship.
'It was quite scary because all the sirens started going off in the area,' Ms Burrows said.
'We got off the tour bus and everyone was running trying to get on the cruise ship, because we needed to get out to sea.
'We were luckily some of the last ones to get on the cruise ship. Then we could see a lot of other people getting dropped off and lining up, but they didn't make it.
'They were then told to get to higher ground on shore.'
Rachael said she was one of the last people to get back on the boat, with hundreds of tourists left behind
A pedestrian crosses and empty Ala Moana Boulevard, Hawaii ahead of an anticipated tsunami
Waves roll on to an empty Waikiki Beach in Honolulu after residents were evacuated in preparation for the tsunami
The captain set off out to sea and then reassured passengers that they were at a safe distance.
Tsunamis are relatively harmless to boats at a safe depth, which varies but is usually more than 180 feet, as they pass underneath.
They only start to become dangerous as they approach shorelines, where the waves rise and become destructive.
Ms Burrows added: 'We don't know anything about tsunamis because we are from the UK. We were thinking do we get on a ship or go to higher ground.
'But he reassured us we are in a safe place.'
She added: 'The tour operator just messaged to say 600 people didn't get onto our ship. They were then told to find refuge at higher ground. So it was quite scary.
'The ship had to leave by a certain time to get to deep water because that is the safest place, apparently you wouldn't even notice the tsunami going underneath you when you are in deep water.
A freeway sign showing the 'Tsunami Warning' on the H-1 freeway in Honolulu earlier today
Huge traffic queues pile up as residents try to evacuate Ewa Beach in Oahu
'We have moved to deeper water just outside the island, we were meant tot be going round to the other side of the island tomorrow, I think they are trying to stick to that plan but obviously we don't know until we know the extent of the waves that are going to hit these islands.'
On the island residents have been evacuated to higher ground, with some tourists staying in their hotels on higher floors and watching from their balconies.
Sharon, 66, from Essex, is currently staying on the eighth floor of a hotel on Waikiki Beach alongside her husband, two daughters and five grandchildren.
She said: 'The hotel said don’t evacuate, just get to floor four or above and stay put'
'We found out about the tsunami from our phones and a really loud alarm'
'We are definitely scared and at first I didn’t know whether to stay put or literally run for the hills'
'We keep getting info over a speaker in the hotel saying stay put and go to floor four or higher'
Emergency alerts pictured from Sharon's phone, warned locals and tourists about the tsunami
Tourists stand on balconies at the 'Alohilani Resort looking towards Waikiki Beach after authorities warned of the possibility of tsunami waves
Holidaymakers in higher apartments have watched on following warnings of a tsunami
'I don’t really feel safe, and I won’t until we get all clear. It still hasn’t hit this island yet'
'So far we have just wasted half a day of holiday by staying in the hotel'
'The grandchildren know what’s happening but they are ok as we’ve reassured them it is all ok '
'I haven't really noticed any weather changes yet'
'Hotel have said it's still not clear but I think people think it isn't going to happen and are wandering around again'
Residents in Hawaii were forced to evacuate from coastal areas as the entire island chain braced for the impact to strike. Water was seen receding at around 7.40pm local time, or 1.40am EST.
The first tsunami waves hit Hawaii at 8.20pm local time, 2.20am EST. Water levels were recorded above four feet in Haleiwa on Oahu's north shore, reaching five feet just minutes later and causing floods.
Residents in Hawaii preparing to evacuate to higher ground following the tsunami warning
The Governor said that all flights of Maui have been cancelled with around 200 people being sheltered at the airport.
Locals were seen running to supermarkets to stock up on water and other essentials as Hawaii Governor Josh Green signed an emergency proclamation for the state.
'We pray that we won't lose any loved ones,' the governor said in a press conference as he warned the public to not 'go out until we give you the all clear.'
He ordered residents to not call 911 unless there was an emergency.
He added: 'Don't get on the road at all, unless you have to. Stay in and watch television.'
'We expect to be about two to three hours at least until we can call 'all clear'. So far though, at the moment, so good,' he said.
'We don't want anyone to let their guard down, we want to go another couple of hours. As the waves cycle smaller and smaller, that's how we'll know that we're ending this concern.
'Everything has been OK so far. We haven’t seen a big wave. But when that water receded in Haleiwa and we saw some boats laying on dry rock and sand, that gave us pause. That doesn’t happen for no reason.'
Photos posted online also showed bumper-to-bumper traffic on a Honolulu highway as residents scrambled to get to higher ground.
A boat leaves the Ala War Harbor, heading out to sea to get to a safe depth ahead of the tsunami
On Oahu, the US Army and Navy opened Kolekole Pass and sections of Schofield Barracks on Oahu to help with the evacuation efforts there as at least one critical traffic accident was reported.
The National Guard is also prepared to help with any rescue efforts and Blackhawk helicopters have been deployed, but Green warned 'it is not likely we will recover you' if residents are swept up in the massive waves.
Data from the US Geological Survey shows the quake reached a magnitude of 8.8 and struck about 84 miles east-southeast of Kamchatska, Russia at around 7.24pm EST - marking the sixth strongest earthquake ever.
It was also believed to be the strongest to strike on the entire planet in 14 years, when a 9.1 megaquake hit northeast Japan and left 19,747 people either dead or missing.
Oprah Winfrey opened her private road in Maui to help people evacuate, CNN reported.
Her spokesperson said: 'As soon as we heard the tsunami warnings, we contacted local law enforcement and FEMA to ensure the road was opened.'
