MAUI: Kahului harbor saw biggest wave

Across the Valley Island, residents and tourists alike took the warning, evacuation and actual tsunami in stride.

Maui's Kahului Harbor registered the state's highest wave at 3.2 feet, but no damage was reported.

After the warning was lifted, Mayor Charmaine Tavares thanked the public for paying attention and heeding warnings.

“;I want to thank our community for being prepared, listening, and respecting the advisories and directions provided by emergency management personnel,”; she said.

Erica Segerberg, a hostess at Flatbread Co., a pizza restaurant across from Baldwin Beach Park in Paia, said the tsunami was “;a non-event, I felt. I'm glad we took the precautions, but they (news networks CNN and FOX) blew it out of proportion. Nothing bad happened. People were barbecuing, just hanging out.”;

KAUAI: Isle was shut down by 9:30 a.m.

By 9:30 a.m. yesterday, the Garden Isle was practically shut down, as police closed the main highways that ring the island.

Mary Daubert, Kauai County spokeswoman, said residents were warned via radio, text message, phone message, television, and even through the air via Civil Air Patrol, to evacuate low-lying areas.

By 12:50 p.m. county Civil Defense officials said the tsunami has reached Kauai with waves less than a foot.

Before that, evacuation shelters had opened across the island, with at least 50 people showing up at Kapaa High School by 9 a.m.

Visitors hoping to leave Kauai were left stranded, as Lihue Airport remained open but the road coming in from the east and north shores closed at 9:30 a.m. Hotels scrambled to accommodate guests staying another day, officials said.

Roughly 250 people, both residents and tourists, were congregating at Mahelona Hospital to watch the tidal surge from a cliff well away from the ocean.

Debra Bossler, co-owner of Bubba Burgers in Kapaa, made an early-morning run to the restaurant to gather up the business' computers, photo albums, and important paperwork, she said.

“;We're just sitting outside keeping an eye on things,”; Bossler added.

BIG ISLAND: All eyes were on Hilo bay

Forecast to bare the worst of the incoming tsunami, Hilo was spared the 8-foot surges predicted to the relief of residents and county officials.

After the tsunami warning was lifted, Mayor Billy Kenoi noted there was “;no panic and no finger pointing”; among the different agencies and “;everyone knew what to do.”;

Kenoi, who spent much of yesterday at the county's Civil Defense headquarters in Hilo, said the tsunami reaction demonstrated that they will be able to handle a similar threat in the future.

Thanks to live news coverage from TV cameras perched above Hilo Bay, the entire state was watching as the first surges reached Hilo Bay at about 11:20 a.m.

The sea noticeably drew back and the water level in Hilo Bay dropped. But rather than crashing back to shore as a violent tsunami, it merely surged forward. Six or seven times the sea drew back and surged forward, but then the surging began to subside. And there was calm.

At 1:25 p.m., a videoconference was held among the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the Governor's Office and all the county Emergency Operations Centers in the state. Chip Curry, a tsunami center oceanographer, stated that he had monitored “;several cycles of the wave”; and found “;nothing alarming.”; He suggested that officials “;end this thing for Hawaii and issue a cancellation message.”; A few minutes later, officials gave the “;all clear”; message.