Tsunami Awareness Month

Seventy years ago, on April 1, 1946, an 8.1-magnitude earthquake in the Aleutian Islands generated a tsunami that devastated Hilo. The massive wave left the Bayfront business district utterly in shambles. American Factors Lumberyard buildings and other structures were lifted and shoved into buildings on the opposite side of the street. April is Tsunami Awareness Month and in collaboration with the Pacific Tsunami Museum, the Tribune-Herald is publishing photos from the aftermath of the 1946 tsunami each Friday in April. Remember, “It is not a matter of if, but when.” Be prepared.

Photo courtesy of Pacific Tsunami Museum, James Kerschner Collection