Hawaii’s Tsunami Evacuation Exposes Dangerous Traffic Gridlock and Public Confusion

When a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the Russian peninsula sent tsunami warnings across the Pacific, thousands of residents and tourists in Hawaii rushed to evacuate despite hours of advance notice. What should have been a manageable precaution instead turned into paralyzing gridlock on the island’s already congested roadways—revealing a glaring failure in emergency preparedness and public communication. David Sun-Miyashiro’s experience is telling: living high above danger on the 31st floor of a Honolulu apartment, he tried to drive just a few blocks to pick up his father. Instead, he found himself trapped in traffic for more than an hour...