Aquacalypse NOT- epilogue of a teensy tsunami from the Big Island of Hawai'i

sun 7:35 update Civil Defense and the 'Blueberries' (nickname for popo in hawai'i as they usually use their own vehicles and slap a blue light on top) did an amazing job keeping an entire state out of the water, because the innocent-looking one-foot punch, or footer tsunami, had hidden debris and dangerous turbulence.

The legendary Hilo farmer's market held at the centuries-infamous tsunami-magnet of Hilo Bay was closed Saturday, Just-picked organic white pineapple [just too sweet to be shipped to mainland, seems the sweeter fruits have very short storage times], fragrant rambutan, melony longon, and striped pink lemons, as well as more recognizeable fruits were packed back in the trucks.

it was really the incredible juicy (because of rainforest downpours) navel oranges i was most after, they probably won't have that at the hippish Maku'u market today.

We received notes and calls of concern - ''my heart goes out to you in your time of crisis'', so i thought i'd clear up some Hawai'i info, as i know it, here-

--My particular island, Hawai'i island is like a mini-continent. over 4,000 square miles, almost all of it soaring from the get-go over sea level. we are like the opposite of Florida and their water damage issues. WE get SNOW. I live 12 MILES and 1600 ft elevation from shore. The tsunami was predicted to reach 2 blocks , and 3-8 ft of elevation, [at very most].

Well, i can still see the ocean from my dirt street [too many trees to see it from my land].

With the unending sirens noone, not even a bird, will be blissfully walking the tidepools unaware of what a suddenly exposed ocean bed means . Though most of the coastline is fortitudinous cliffs.

The major events enshrined by the bay-facing Tsunami Museum happened here before the installation of sirens, back when people rebuilt onto the same vulnerable hot spot here after every life-losing disaster. Finally, a common-sense law was passed and that stretch of waters edge became open space.

The Hilo Bay tsunami magnet now has a long lava-rock seawall built across most of the mouth of the bay, keeping the spectacle of an underwater coconut island [the acre-plus island popular with birthdays and bbqs inside of the large bay], from happening]. There is a movement to remove the seawall and restore SURFING to the heart of downtown Hilo-that probably lost a little steam yesterday.

The damage caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami was caused by having a large population practically living on the beach, on a string of coral atolls- pictaresque low islands barely reaching out of the ocean. A lot of tourists drinking Thai beer atop a pile of shells. With NO warning, as the earthquake was locally generated. Everyone and their mother knew a tsunami was heading to Hawai'i.

A major Local earthquake, -there was a teensy one off of Kalapana on Saturday-, would trigger a tsunami with maybe 30 seconds notice to climb back up the cliff. i was here for the 10/15/06 6.7 Big Island quake, we were going full force on the highway when i saw a car fishtailing into the opposite side of the cliff-carved Hwy 11, and this thick beige cloud appeared out of nowhere in front of us. All the cars on the highway stopped. I didn't know what the cloud was till it cleared. It was peaceful. It was a hail of Flinstone boulders and rock from the cliff above, making a temporary rock garden park out of a road where I've known drivers to go 90 mph. The quake triggered a warning but not a wave, and cost an est. $100 mill in damages. The epicenter was an area Bill Gates is rumored to have a house in. Ask him what happened.


All that said, seeing a tsunami hitting multi-directionally on Hawai'i island, still would have inspired a bit of awe.

Here is a link to a permanent live Hilo Bay webcam run by the Tsunami museum :http://www.tsunami.org/hilobaycam.html As you might know, yesterday was clear blue-sky, calm, and temp in the early early 80s. Right now you can tell from the live cam it is wet and grey and has been pouring since the afternoon into the night. I appreciated the beautiful day that was yesterday.

saturday's story is at: http://current.com/items/92235243_tsunami-expected-to-wrap-around-hawaii-island....
Thanks for reading!