On the Big Island
Pepe'ekoe Scenic Drive North of Hilo
Laupahoehoe Park
Park at Laupahoehoe Point
The slope near this point was once the site of a school for local children.
In Memory of Those Lost In The 'Tidal Wave' April 1, 1946
Coincidently, while we were there, a teacher who survived that fatefull day in 1946
was there visiting the memorial for the first time since the tragedy occured.
Some of our group had the opportunity to hear some of her recollections.
Twenty-four names are carved on this memorial—mostly teen-age students of the nearby school. When the tsunami sucked all the shallow water away from the land while the first big wave was amassing its wall of water, the students and teachers were curious and ran to the beach to observe the spectacle. The wave rolled in and took all of them.
We have since learned that these waves have nothing to do with tides and have adopted the Japanese name for them —tsunaumi . This same catastrophe demolished much of the city of Hilo with a much higher death toll. That event inspired the Pacific Tsunami Warning System to give advance warnings in Hawaii and North America.
|
|
|
The surf is working hard to make a black-sand beach here.
But, I think it will be a while before children can run across it to splash in the waves.
|
|
Click any image above to jump to the next page.
