HAWAII ON ALERT FOR TSUNAMI Published Feb. 27, 2010 JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR HICKAM, Hawaii -- A tsunami from an 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile, South America, may cause damage along coastlines of all islands in the state of Hawaii. The primary evacuation zone for Hickam includes the area along the beach and coastline from Bishop's Point to the Mamala Bay Golf Course. As a precautionary measure, Hickam is evacuating housing residents along Julian Ave, units 11-117. This began at 8 a.m. and will be completed by 9 a.m. The Hickam Community Housing community center (Kuntz area) and 14 lodging rooms are available as relocation sites for these families. Hickam Billeting residents in Bldgs. 926, 925, 920 and 922 will relocate to the Fitness Center and/or the Hickam Community Center (Bldg. 1859). The Base Commissary and Base Exchange are open for residents to stock up on any needed emergency supplies. Base to do's: - Stay tuned to local news and radio stations for announcements; - Evacuate if advised/ordered to do so; - Return to evacuated areas ONLY after an "all clear" is issued; - Keep telephone and comm lines open for emergencies; - Stay away from the beach and coastline areas; - Have your evacuation kit/supplies ready; A tsunami is a series of long ocean waves. Each individual wave crest can last five to 15 minutes or more and extensively flood coastal areas. The danger can continue for many hours after the initial wave as subsequent waves arrive. Tsunami wave heights cannot be predicted and the first wave may not be the largest. Tsunami waves efficiently wrap around islands. All shores are at risk no matter which direction they face. The trough of a tsunami wave may temporarily expose the seafloor but the area will quickly flood again. Extremely strong and unusual near shore currents can accompany a tsunami. Debris picked up and carried by a tsunami amplifies its destructive power. Simultaneous high tides or high surf can significantly increase the tsunami hazard. The estimated arrival time in Hawaii of the first tsunami wave is 11:05 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time Messages will be issued hourly or sooner as conditions warrant at http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/?region=2.