Traveler aboard cruise ship describes the alert passengers got about Hawaii tsunami

Cruise Passenger Recalls Terrifying Tsunami Scare in Hawaii

A British woman’s dream cruise turned into a nightmare after emergency tsunami alerts blared across Hawaii, forcing her and others to run for safety.

A Relaxing Vacation Turns Frightening

Rachel Burrows, visiting Hawaii’s Big Island on July 29, was mid-tour when disaster struck. Suddenly, her phone lit up with an urgent alert. A powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake had just rocked Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula—triggering a tsunami warning for the Pacific region, including Hawaii.

“We were heading back to the ship when we got the alerts,” Burrows told the BBC. “The first one said, ‘Tsunami – you’re in immediate danger. Move to higher ground.’”

Chaos Unfolds on the Ground

Despite the local tour guide brushing off the alert as routine, things escalated quickly. The tour group had planned a stop at a local chocolate factory, but traffic ground to a halt.

“That’s when we knew something was wrong,” Burrows said. “People had already begun to evacuate.”

As they arrived at the factory, the owner urgently turned them away. “He said, ‘You need to go. It’s closing. Go now.’”

Sirens, Panic, and a Race to Safety

Sirens wailed across the area as Burrows and fellow tourists raced back to the cruise ship. “It got really scary,” she said. “Everyone was running, trying to get back on board.”

They barely made it. As one of the last groups allowed to board, Burrows watched others being left behind—told to seek higher ground instead. “They closed the ship off,” she recalled. “We had to head out to sea.”

Tsunami Downgraded—but Danger Remained

By the early hours of July 30, officials downgraded the tsunami warning to an advisory. The Oahu Department of Emergency Services announced that evacuations were canceled and residents could return home. Still, they warned the public to stay away from beaches and shorelines.

“Strong currents and beach hazards may still occur,” officials cautioned. “Ships should head to deeper water if safe.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center confirmed that the west coast—including California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska—was not at risk.

A Global Shockwave

The earthquake, one of the strongest ever recorded, triggered tsunami alerts across Japan, Russia, Canada, and the U.S. The situation sent shockwaves—both literal and emotional—across the Pacific.

Your Turn

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