"Everything Submerged by Giant Wave Swallowing Two-Story Building"... Unusual Phenomenon Observed in Hawaii

Largest Waves in 25 Years Observed in Hawaii
Disaster Authorities "No Casualties but Low-Lying Areas Should Be Cautious"

A large wave crashed into the wedding reception held in Kailunakoa, Hawaii. Photo by Twitter capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Large waves up to 7.6m high were observed in Hawaii. Disaster authorities urged residents in low-lying coastal areas to exercise special caution.

The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources announced on the 18th (local time) that waves reaching 25 feet (approximately 7.62m) occurred on Oahu Island. This is the largest wave observed on the southern coast of Hawaii in 25 years.

The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) warned of flooding damage in low-lying areas, stating, "These large waves were caused by the impact of Hurricane Davi and such phenomena will continue through this week."

On social media, videos showing large waves hitting the Hawaiian coast were shared in real time. On the 16th, at Kailunakoa in Hawaii, waves crashed into a wedding reception, causing guests to evacuate in chaos. The waves swept away tables and chairs, turning the scene into a pandemonium in an instant.

On Big Island, waves engulfed residential areas, with seawater seen surpassing the top of a two-story condo. Isabella Sloan, who filmed the video, told local media, "For the first time, seawater flooded into the house, submerging everything."

Disaster response authorities stated, "Fortunately, there have been no casualties so far."

Meanwhile, Chris Brenkuli, a meteorologist at the Honolulu National Weather Service, reported that a powerful winter storm originating in the South Pacific passed Samoa and moved north to Hawaii, causing massive waves. He said it is difficult to directly link this single event to climate change, but it is clear that global warming plays a role. He also expressed concern that the greatest impact of climate change is sea level rise, and the resulting shocks will continue to worsen in the future.