City and County of Honolulu July 2025 Tsunami Warning After Action Report (excerpts)
Prepared by the Oʻahu Department of Emergency Management and Ascenttra July 25, 2026
1.1 Purpose
This After-Action Report (AAR) was developed by the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Emergency Management (DEM) to capture lessons learned from the City's response to the tsunami generated on July 29, 2025 by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. …
The Tsunami Warning occurred at a time that is one of the worse-case scenarios for evacuation management — a workday, shortly before rush hour, with approximately five hours of warning time. Despite major traffic congestion and frustrations, evacuation of the Primary Tsunami Evacuation Zone was accomplished by the time of anticipated impact and roads within the evacuation zone were clear of traffic. There were no reported fatalities associated with the evacuation. …
Understanding of Evacuation Zones
8. There was a lack of understanding by the public of tsunami evacuation procedures, including the differences in evacuation zones and vertical evacuation options, which contributed to unnecessary evacuations.
Severity: Critical Likelihood: Almost Certain Risk: High
This finding covers issues that span both the evacuation and public messaging sections of this report. Given the major impact this finding had on evacuation, it is included here. During this event, only an evacuation of the Primary Tsunami Evacuation Zone was ordered. Evacuation of the Extreme Zone, which covers a much larger area, was not required for this event. Initial findings from the HDOT study on traffic congestion during the evacuation period has shown that 92% of trips by vehicle on Oahu were unnecessary in that they were not related to people moving from the Primary Evacuation Zone to a safe area. Many citizens either unnecessarily left safe areas or evacuated farther than was needed. Many businesses outside the evacuation zone closed. This confusion caused unnecessary travel on the roadways which was a significant contributor to traffic congestion. Additionally, there were indications that vertical evacuation was not widely understood to be an option for many buildings, particularly in urban Honolulu. …
9. Internal City agency plans and procedures did not adequately distinguish between the two Tsunami Evacuation Zones, leading to unnecessary protective actions only required in the event of an Extreme Tsunami.
Severity: Critical Likelihood: Probable Risk: Serious
Similar to the public confusion, there was confusion among some City agencies about the two zones. There were reports in the EOC that some agencies evacuated personnel and equipment out of locations that were in the Extreme Evacuation Zone and did not need to relocate for this event. Not all first responder agencies had the Primary and Extreme Zones mapped in their computer-aided dispatch systems to understand which facilities needed evacuation and what call locations were in the Primary Evacuation Zone. …
Vulnerable Populations
10. Extended care medical facilities and medically fragile populations lacked individual evacuation plans and procedures.
Severity: Critical Likelihood: Probable Risk: Serious
Emergency medical services providers and the 9-1-1 system stated they received an overwhelming number of calls from extended care facilities and individuals with medical needs to assist with evacuation. While it can be expected that private citizens in need of support may call for assistance, extended care and medical facilities should have plans, procedures, and mutual aid agreements in place to address evacuation, relocation, and continued care of their residents. These facilities have a duty to ensure the health and safety of their staff and residents and should preplan how and when evacuations should take place, where transportation will come from, where staff and residents will be relocated, and how care will be maintained and relocation sites. Expecting an overwhelmed emergency medical system to coordinate and resolve these issues during an emergency will lead to a delay in assistance and possibly loss of life. …
read … Final.CCH_DEM_07-25Tsunami_AARdocx.pdf
COVERAGE:
CB: Hawaiʻi Tsunami Panic: Most Who Evacuated Shouldn't Have, Report Says - Honolulu Civil Beat
SA: Column: Actively prepare for Hawaii emergencies | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
BACKGROUND:
Tsunami of Traffic: How One Gas Station Line Jammed up All of Kapolei > Hawaii Free Press
VIDEO: Tsunami Draws Water Down 15 feet in Kahului Harbor > Hawaii Free Press