1975 Earthquake and Tsunami

Earthquake-tsunami on Hawaii Island , Nov. 29: Two people were killed and approximately $4.1 million in property damage occurred when an earthquake and tsunami hit the island of Hawaii.

Hawaii County Mayor Herbert T. Matayoshi, Gov. George R. Ariyoshi, and President Gerald R. Ford all declared the Big Island a major disaster area.

The earthquake occurred at 448 a.m. and was followed within minutes by the locally generated tsunami. The quake measured 7.2 on the Richter scale and was centered two miles off the coast of Hawaii Island. Kilauea Volcano erupted virtually at the same time that the trembler occurred.

Twenty-eight people were injured by the earthquake and tsunami. Fifty-four persons were evacuated. There were 58 homes, 7 businesses. 26 boats, and 2 churches damaged.

The Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency sounded the sirens and evacuated as many people as possible from coastal areas due to the expected tsunami waves. Some sirens did not go off due to power failures in parts of Hawaii Island, so sirens on police cars were used. Also, Police and CD personnel went house to house urging residents to evacuate.

The city of Hilo suffered extensive damage in its downtown district. Its small fishing fleet was badly damaged when a 5-foot tsunami caused a 10-foot swell as it thundered up Wailoa River before dawn.

There was also considerable damage to the Hilo sewage outfall system.

In Kona ‘s Keauhou area, boats and homes were damaged.

Ka’u lost its only tourist facility when the wave generated by the quake roared through the center of Punaluu Village Restaurant, gutting the $1 million facility. Five homes nearby were leveled and cars were washed inland.

Extensive damage took place in the volcano area. There, a path of devastation was left through Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which had to be closed due to the heavy road cracking.

Halape, a remote sandy beach, literally disappeared as the coastline subsided.

On Dec. 7, after President Ford proclaimed the Big Island a major disaster area, a Federal-State one-stop disaster assistance center was set up in the Hawaii National Guard Armory at General Lyman Field in Hilo.

The center was staffed by Federal , State and County officials, as well as the American Red Cross. By the time it closed on Dec. 16, at 6 p.m., it had processed 175 applications from Big Island residents.

Among the types of assistance provided were cash grants for serious unmet needs, Red Cross grants, low interest loans, emergency housing, food stamps, unemployment insurance, and Federal and State income tax assistance on how to write off losses incurred because of the disaster.

In addition, it is estimated that Hawaii County is eligible for approximately $1 million in Federal funds for the repair of public facilities damaged by the earthquake and tsunami. Work on this public property assistance was continuing at the end of the fiscal year.

– 1976 Annual Report pp. 22

Should disaster strike . . . Expect the worst

By Fred Pugarelli
Civil Defense, PIO

Two people were killed and approximately $4.1 million in property damage occurred when an earthquake and tsunami (tidal waves) hit the island of Hawaii.

The earthquake occurred at 4:48 a.m. on Nov. 29 and was followed within minutes by the locally generated tsunami. The earthquake measured 7.2 on the Richter and was center.i–two -to-three miles off the coast of the Big Island. Kilauea Volcano erupted virtually at the same time that the trembler occurred.

Twenty-nine people were injured by the earthquake and tsunami.

The Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency sounded the sirens and evacuated as many people as possible from coastal areas due to the expected tsunami wave . Some sirens did not go off due to power failures on parts of Hawaii lsland, so sirens on police cars were used. Also, Police and Civil Defense perso nnel went house-to-house urging residents to evacuate.

The city of Hilo had considerable damage in its downtown district. Its small fishing neet suffered damage, too, when a five-foot tsunami generated a 10-foot swell as it roared up Wailoa River shortly after the earthquake.

There was also extensive damage to the Hilo sewage outfall system.

In Kona’s Keauhou area, homes and boats were damaged.

In Ka’u, the only tourist facility was lost temporarily when a tsunami swept through the Punaluu Village Restaurant. Cars were washed inland and five homes nearby were leveled.

The worst damage took place in the Volcano area. Extremely dense and heavy road cracking took place at the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

The beautiful remote sandy beach of Halape just about vanished as the coastline subsided .

In the day immediately following the disaster, Gov. George R. Ariyoshi, Maj. Gen. Valentine A. Siefermann, State director of Civil Defense and adjutant general, and John N. Butchart, State vice director of Civil Defense, toured the damaged areas.

They were joined by Robert C. Steven , Region Nine director of the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration.

On Tue day, Dec. 2, Mayor Herbert T. Matayoshi of Hawaii County declared the Big Island a major disaster area.

On Thursday, Dec. 4, Governor Ariyoshi declared Hawaii County a major disaster area.

On Sunday, Dec. 7, President Ford proclaimed the Big Island a major disaster area, making its government and citizens eligible for a host of Federal benefits.

This will include approximately $1 million for the repair of public facilities damaged by the earthquake and tsunami.

On Wednesday, Dec. 10, a joint Federal-State one-stop disaster assistance center was opened at noon in the Hawaii National Guard Armory at General Lyman Field in Hilo.

It was staffed by Federal, State and County officials. as well as the American Red Cross.

Robert F. Sorg, State CD resources officer, and A. Charles De Meo, State CD procurement and supply specialist, were among the coordinators of the relief center.

Robert C. Stevens, Region Nine director of the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration (FDAA), and Maj. Gen. Valentine A. Siefermann, State director of Civil Defense and adjutant general, coordinated the opening of the center.

Scott Martin and Joe Laux, both of FDAA, also assisted in the operation of the center.

The one-stop facility was open after the first day from IO a.m. to 6 p.m. daily except for Sunday.

By the time it closed on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 6 p. m., it had processed 175 applications from Big Islanders.

Among the types of assistance provided were cash grants for erious unmet needs, Red Cross grants. low-interest loans, emergency housing, food stamps, unemployment insurance, and Federal and State income tax assistance on how to write off losses incurred because of the disaster.

Although the one-stop center is closed, assistance is continuing, but Big Islanders must now apply directly to the various agencies involved in the massive relief effort.

The Hawaii National Guard provided 14 450-gallon water tailers to Hawaii County to provide emergency water supplies to householders who had suffered damage or destruction of their water tanks because of the earthquake.

– 1976 January Pūpūkahi pp. 4 & 8