Our primary focus is digitizing and cataloging the catastrophic tsunami events that reshaped Hawaiʻi Island's coastal communities. Explore high-resolution glass-plate negatives, eyewitness documentation, and recovery photographs currently indexed.
COLLECTION 01
Tsunami 1946 & 1960
Upcoming Archival Collections
With hundreds of historical photos in our vault, additional series will open as digital indexing and preservation work progresses.
Hilo Waterfront & Maritime
Sugar Plantations & Rail
Kīlauea Volcanic Eruptions
The 1946 and 1960 Hilo Tsunamis
Hilo, Hawaiʻi has experienced several major tsunamis throughout its history, but the tsunamis of 1946 and 1960 were two of the most devastating. Both were caused by powerful earthquakes far across the Pacific Ocean, sending waves thousands of miles toward Hawaiʻi.
The 1946 Tsunami
On April 1, 1946, a powerful earthquake occurred near the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. The earthquake generated a tsunami that traveled across the Pacific and reached Hawaiʻi in less than five hours. At the time, Hawaiʻi did not have a tsunami warning system, so many people had little or no warning before the waves reached the coast.
Hilo was one of the hardest-hit areas. Waves reached about 26 feet in Hilo, flooding neighborhoods, destroying buildings, roads, bridges, and homes, and carrying debris through the city. Across Hawaiʻi, hundreds of people lost their lives, with many of the deaths occurring on Hawaiʻi Island.
The disaster had a lasting effect on Hawaiʻi. The lack of warning showed how vulnerable coastal communities were to distant earthquakes and tsunamis. In response, the United States established a tsunami warning operation in Honolulu in 1948, which eventually became part of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
The 1960 Tsunami
Fourteen years later, Hilo experienced another devastating tsunami. On May 22, 1960, a magnitude 9.5 earthquake struck southern Chile. It generated a massive tsunami that traveled across the Pacific Ocean for about 15 hours before reaching Hawaiʻi.
This time, warnings were issued before the waves arrived. However, many people did not realize how dangerous the situation was, and some returned to low-lying areas after the first waves appeared to pass. The largest wave struck Hilo at about 1:04 a.m. on May 23, reaching approximately 35 feet in Hilo Bay.
The tsunami caused severe destruction throughout Hilo, particularly around the waterfront and downtown areas. 61 people were killed, and hundreds were injured. Homes, businesses, roads, bridges, and other structures were destroyed or severely damaged.
Complete digitized catalog containing 78 original glass-plate negatives, surveying coastal inundation, structural impact, and emergency clearance operations across Hilo and the Laupāhoehoe coastline.
Front Street facade inundation following initial wave arrival at Hilo harbor basin.
Displaced sugar cane railway tracks twisted along the cliff edge near Hakalau Gulch.
Survey photograph documenting schoolhouse structural failure at Laupāhoehoe peninsula.
Emergency crews clearing timber and debris near Wailoa River bridge following May 1960 surge.
Exposed reef beds inside Hilo Bay pre-surge, captured from Cow's Horn breakwater lookout.
Original field index catalog card listing GPS coordinates and water level highmarks.
Keaukaha coastal structure dislodged onto Kalanianaʻole Avenue during the third wave.
Hilo Iron Works facility interior structural inspection following floodwater retreat.
Displaying records 1–8 of 78 cataloged photographic glass plates in the Tsunami Archive.