Tsunami Doesn’t Spoil Family’s Hawaiian Trip

— Dr. Kent and Dorian Leonard and their children Lauren, 12, and Cole, 10, returned home last Wednesday after a vacation in Hawaii which proved an enjoyable and educational experience, Dr. Leonard reported.

But while there, on the island of Hawaii, the family was treated to an experience they will always remember.

It happened about 2 a.m. on the morning of February 27 when they were awakened with the news that a tsunami advisory had been sounded, a result of the earthquake that had occurred in Chile. The advisory told them sirens would be sounded at 6 a.m.

“We turned to the local news and found the advisory had been upgraded to a warning,” Leonard said.

“When you think of Hawaii, you think of beautiful beaches. However there were also beautiful mountains as well and after watching the news we decided it would be a good day to visit them.”

Lots of other Hawaiians and no doubt other tourists had similar ideas.

“We needed some food and drinks, knowing they would be closing several roads soon, so we headed out at 5 a.m. to a crowded supermarket. It took over an hour to get two gallons of water and a few picnic items due to the long lines,” the doctor remembers.

The family went up near Wiamea Canyon and Kokee trail before 7 a.m.. and there they met many local people and visitors who had the same idea of hunting higher ground.

“After we took a six mile hike we came back to the car and found the tsunami was not as bad as had been predicted as it hit the big island and by 2 p.m. they had ended the warning and reopened the roads.

“Thankfully there was no damage to any of the islands,” Kent said, and he added, “We were impressed with the way the state of Hawaii handled the warning and the orderliness of the people.”

It was an adventure many people never experience but the dentist admitted, “It was good to get home.”

News, Pages 1 on 03/10/2010