[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 33 (Tuesday, March 9, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1305-S1306]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HAWAII'S TSUNAMI RESPONSE

  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I would like to commend the people of 
Hawaii for their quick response to the tsunami caused by the earthquake 
in Chile.
  On Saturday, February 27, 2010, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the 
coast of Chile generated a tsunami throughout the Pacific. A tsunami 
warning was issued for Hawaii, the Northern Mariana Islands, American 
Samoa, and the Marshall and Solomon Islands. Additionally, a tsunami 
advisory was issued for the west coast of the United States and Alaska.
  My staff and I monitored the situation closely, and were in contact 
with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, and the Hawaii 
State Civil Defense. FEMA was monitoring the situation in Hawaii and 
the other

[[Page S1306]]

territories from the FEMA Region IX office in California and Region X 
office in Washington State. Supplies for any recovery effort in the 
Pacific are prepositioned in Hawaii at FEMA's Pacific Area Office 
warehouse, as well as in Guam and American Samoa. I worked to establish 
and maintain the FEMA Pacific Area Office headquartered in Honolulu in 
order to protect our isolated island communities. The office has been 
essential for preparedness efforts in Hawaii and critical for disaster 
response throughout the Pacific region.
  Equally important, the actions of State and local officials and the 
people of Hawaii have demonstrated the value of citizen and community 
preparedness. Thanks to the efforts of the people of Hawaii, we were 
prepared to save lives and avert considerable damage had a large 
tsunami come ashore. Around 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, tsunami warning 
sirens sounded in Hawaii, which notified people to evacuate the low-
lying areas. The people of Hawaii followed the directions of our local 
authorities, stayed calm, and evacuated all shorelines.
  Hawaii is familiar with the destructive power of tsunamis. In 1960, a 
9.5 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Chile generated a tsunami 
that killed over 60 people in Hawaii. More recently, Hawaii faced a 
disaster of a different kind, in 1992, when Hurricane Iniki caused 
billions of dollars in damage.
  The Chilean earthquake reminded us that when a disaster occurs, we 
need to be prepared. Because Hawaii is isolated from the rest of the 
United States, it is even more critical that we are prepared to take 
care of ourselves. I want to congratulate the people of Hawaii, as well 
as Federal, State, and local authorities who successfully prepared for 
and responded to the tsunami.
  While I am thankful for the tsunami's minimal impact on my home 
State, we cannot forget the tragedy in Chile. My thoughts and prayers 
are with everyone affected by the earthquake.

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