New Laupahoehoe Exhibit

A group of artists painted a wall mural of Laupahoehoe peninsula prior to 1946. The artistic creation was designed and painted by Elfie Wilkins and two of her students, Lena Higa and Ruth Iwata. Everyone who sees it marvels at its beauty and happy feeling. The exhibit features survivor stories, and how decisions made on that fateful day of April 1, 1946 made all the difference. The title of the exhibit is "Laupahoehoe - Stories of Fate". The exhibit opened on September 17, 2011.

Tsunami Education Outreach

Within the State of Hawaii there are 17 public schools, 15 charter schools, and private schools located in tsunami inundation areas. Each has unique characteristics and differing levels of tsunami preparedness. Joining forces to visit and provide assessment and education services are Pacific Tsunami Museum board member Manny Mattos, sponsored by Hawaii State Civil Defense, and Dr. Gerard Fryer of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. Over a three year period all of the identified schools will be visited by this team, who will provide consultative services to school administration, community leaders and students. Education is the single most important factor that will save lives in a tsunami event, and these children are the future, as well as the conduit to reach their families and community.

NOAA Groups Visit Museum

On February 4, 2010, visiting mainland and Oahu NOAA Pacific Services Center dignitaries were escorted through the museum by Dr. Walter Dudley, Chair, Museum Scientific Advisory Council. On February 16, the museum's archivist assisted another NOAA group by providing material for an upcoming documentary about tsunamis.

Scientists Conduct Interviews and Obtain Other Data in Samoa

Click here for a link to preliminary reports from Samoa.

Tsunami Clock Refurbished

The Waiakea clock is a landmark that most people in the community refer to as the tsunami clock. The time is set at 1:04, the time on May 23, 1960 when the bayfront town of Hilo and the Waiakea peninsula were wiped out by a catastrophic tsunami generated in Conception, Chile. The project commenced on May 1, 2009 and has been completed. Industrial Iron Works removed the clock, refurbished and reinstalled it on the Waiakea site. They also installed the new sign provided by the museum. The Waiakea Pirates Athletic Club members, who experienced and have a memory of the 1960 tsunami that wiped away their town of Waiakea, landscape and maintain the site, as they have done for years. A special thank you goes to the 'keeper of the clock' Mr. Tadayoshi Kanda, who faithfully keeps the area clean and decorated with flowers.

The Energy Of Moving Water Exhibit: The Wave Machine

The Wave Machine and design team. This exhibit opened on April 1, 2009.

School groups have visited and taken part in a standards-based experience with the museum exhibits, including the Wave Machine.

Meeting Science Standards Through Inquiry:

A "Complex" Ed-venture

The Pacific Tsunami Museum has been part of the "Meeting Science Standards Through Inquiry" educational project. The project engages teachers in research/inquiry-based teaching, partners schools with community resources and develops community-based assessment tools to gauge student learning. The project focuses on increasing 6th grade physical science proficiency, addressing educational benchmarks and standards.

The Pacific Tsunami Museum developed a new exhibit called the "Energy of Moving Water: The Wave Machine" that demonstrates energy in tsunamis. The design team also identified science benchmarks within existing exhibits. The new exhibit opened at the museum on April 1, 2009, and students have been coming to hear a relevant presentation and visit the exhibits.

A service learning fair featuring standards-based student presentations and on-site assessment culminates the project. The learning fair occurred on May 16 at the Prince Kuhio Mall, where the museum had a booth. There were displays of student projects, demonstrations, experiments, and art.

A Blueprint for Coastal Communities

A document entitled "Tsunami Education: A Blueprint for Coastal Communities" was completed in January 2009. This guide was created as part of the tsunami eduction, preparation, and recovery project for downtown Hilo. Written by Kylie Alexandra, Genevieve Cain, and Patsy Iwasaki, this document was prepared on behalf of The Pacific Tsunami Museum and the County of Hawai’i Planning Department. Click here to download this document.

2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami Exhibit opened December 14, 2008

The new "Indian Ocean Tsunami" exhibit features touch-screen video kiosks that show what happened when the tsunami was triggered, as well as including a number of very touching survivor stories. An informative map illustrates the areas hit, lists loss of life for various areas (estimated to be between 230,000 and 300,000 people), and provides wave runup heights. Text and image displays show 'before and after' scenes and the incredible impact on the areas affected, including Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, and the Maldives. There is the story of the Sri Lankan train disaster and the saga of one woman's heroic aid efforts. The amazing experience of a man carried to sea and back again is quite moving, particularly because the t-shirt he was wearing is contained within the display. There is a fascinating account of indigenous people who survived because they recognized the signs of the impending tsunami. Recovery efforts and lessons learned are also featured. A timeline depicts the sequence of events. The exhibit provides a wealth of information; if you are in Hilo, plan to stop by and see it. You will undoubtedly be moved by the pictures, video, and text. Click here to hear a siren from Indonesia.

Science Exhibit

The Pacific Tsunami Museum ha augmented the "Science of Tsunamis" exhibit. There is informational material, photographs, and graphics on the subjects of runup and inundation, plate tectonics, surveying a tsunami, ocean waves, tsunami waves, tsunami warning systems, and seismographs.