Slim Chance of Devastating Hawaii Tsunami, Researchers Say
A group of researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa made a startling revelation about the volcanic archipelago and the likelihood of it getting hit by a "mega-tsunami" in the next half a century. The said tsunami is projected to be caused by an earthquake with at least a 9.0 magnitude near the Aleutian Islands.
News about this potential tsunami was first reported by Hawaii News Now, based on a study published last week in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth. Although the proponents of the study are giving the event a 9-percent probability of happening, the thought of it is in itself terrifying since there is a potential to wipe a substantial part of the archipelago.
If the earthquake indeed comes from the Aleutian Island, experts predict that the residents of the U.S.' 50th state will only have four hours to be able to react and find safety. According to lead scientist Rhett Butler in an interview with Hawaii News Now, it may be a rare event, but their job is to "define what that chance might be."
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The study also revealed that the quake and corresponding mega-tsunami would be enough to affect at least 300,000 people in the islands and will more likely cause property damage amounting to $40 billion. The researchers came up with those numbers after five years of study, with the conclusion that although it is very rare, the fact remains that such a catastrophe is very possible.
The researchers were motivated to do a comprehensive research on the risks of such an event in Hawaii after a similar one devastated Japan back in March 2011. That earthquake and resulting tsunami took the lives of almost 20,000 people and destroyed industries, homes, and infrastructure in the country.
The last time the Hawaiian islands experienced a major earthquake was in 2006, when a 6.7 magnitude tremor hit the area southwest of Puako and north off Kailua-Kona, near Kona Airport. The quake triggered the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center to issue a tsunami warning.
