Campus Alert Archive
BYU-Hawaii

Kamchatka Quake Sends BYU-Hawaii's Laie Campus to Temple Hill in the Largest Hawaii Tsunami Evacuation Since 2011

HIearthquakeemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

On July 29, 2025, at 2:43 p.m. HST, the National Weather Service issued a Tsunami Warning for the State of Hawaii following an 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Kamchatka. Laie — home to Brigham Young University–Hawaii and the Laie Hawaii Temple — sits within the coastal tsunami evacuation zone on Oahu's North Shore. BYU-Hawaii activated BYUH Alert to direct community members inland and upslope to Temple Hill above the Laie Temple, joining hundreds of Laie residents in what became one of the largest tsunami evacuations Hawaii had seen since 2011. Sirens sounded across Oahu and the warning continued for approximately eight hours.

Alerts
3
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
0
Institution
Brigham Young University–Hawaii
Private Bachelors · HI
~3,100 studentsBYUH Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Approximate reconstructionReconstructed from BYU-Hawaii Safety & Risk Management's published tsunami evacuation guidance and contemporaneous Hawaii Public Radio coverage of the Laie evacuation298 chars
BYUH Alert: TSUNAMI WARNING for the State of Hawaii. Evacuate the coastal evacuation zone immediately. Move inland and to higher ground. BYU-Hawaii community on the Laie campus: proceed to Temple Hill above the Laie Hawaii Temple. Follow posted evacuation routes. Do not return until the all clear.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Sent within minutes of the 2:43 p.m. HST NWS Tsunami Warning issuance, consistent with BYU-Hawaii's standing tsunami evacuation plan that pre-designates Temple Hill as the upslope assembly point
Temple Hill — the elevated ground above the Laie Hawaii Temple — serves as the primary inland assembly area for the entire Laie community, not just BYU-Hawaii
Hawaii's tsunami warning protocol relies on outdoor sirens, Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), and university-specific alert systems running in parallel
The eight-hour warning duration — from 2:43 p.m. July 29 to approximately late evening — required BYU-Hawaii to coordinate overnight shelter logistics for evacuated students
UPDATESMS
Approximate reconstructionReconstructed from Hawaii Public Radio's coverage of the July 29 evening downgrade and from BYU-Hawaii's standard alert template253 chars
BYUH Alert UPDATE: The Tsunami Warning has been downgraded to a Tsunami Advisory. Wave action and dangerous currents continue. Coastal evacuation zone remains closed. BYU-Hawaii community: remain at Temple Hill or in inland shelter until further notice.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

The distinction between Tsunami Warning (evacuation required) and Tsunami Advisory (stay out of water) is hours of ocean dynamics, not a return-home signal — BYU-Hawaii's preserved restriction reflects this
Maintaining the evacuation order during the advisory phase is standard Hawaii practice and reflects lessons from 2011 Tohoku-driven tsunami episodes when premature returns proved dangerous
ALL CLEARSMS+18h 13m
Approximate reconstructionReconstructed from Big Island Now's coverage of the 8:58 a.m. statewide cancellation and from BYU-Hawaii's standard all-clear template202 chars
BYUH Alert: ALL CLEAR. The Tsunami Advisory for the State of Hawaii has been canceled. Coastal areas are reopened. BYU-Hawaii community may return to campus. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Statewide cancellation of the Tsunami Advisory was made at 8:58 a.m. HST on July 30, 2025 — approximately 18 hours after the initial Warning issuance
BYU-Hawaii's all-clear timing tracked the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cancellation rather than issuing earlier on local risk assessment
Context

Background

BYU-Hawaii occupies a roughly 100-acre campus in Laie on Oahu's North Shore, sitting between the Pacific Ocean and the foothills of the Koolau Range. The campus, along with the adjacent Laie Hawaii Temple and the Polynesian Cultural Center, sits within the coastal tsunami evacuation zone defined by Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. The July 29, 2025 Kamchatka earthquake — at moment magnitude 8.8, one of the most powerful earthquakes recorded in the 21st century — triggered a tsunami that reached the Hawaiian Islands within hours. NWS issued a Tsunami Warning for the entire state at 2:43 p.m. HST. Across Oahu's North Shore, the warning prompted the most significant tsunami evacuation Hawaii had undertaken since the 2011 Tōhoku event. BYU-Hawaii's pre-existing tsunami plan designates Temple Hill — the elevated ground above the Laie Hawaii Temple — as the primary upslope assembly area, a feature that worked exactly as designed: hundreds of Laie residents (BYU-Hawaii community members, Polynesian Cultural Center workers, and Laie residents at large) converged on Temple Hill during the afternoon and evening. The maximum tsunami wave measured in the Hawaiian Islands was approximately 5.7 feet, with the largest readings recorded at Hilo and Kahului — significant but well below the destructive scale of the 2011 event. The warning was downgraded to an advisory in the evening of July 29 and canceled statewide at 8:58 a.m. HST on July 30. The episode validated BYU-Hawaii's siting-specific evacuation plan and underscored how the Laie Temple has functioned as the de facto civil-defense high point for the entire community for over a century.
Analysis

Key Findings

BYU-Hawaii's siting-specific tsunami plan designates Temple Hill (above the Laie Hawaii Temple) as the upslope assembly area, drawing on a 100-year community history
The maximum tsunami wave in the Hawaiian Islands was approximately 5.7 feet — significant but below the destructive 2011 Tohoku scale
The eight-hour warning duration required BYU-Hawaii to coordinate overnight shelter logistics on Temple Hill
This was the largest Hawaii tsunami evacuation since 2011, validating the pre-positioned BYUH Alert and HIEMA coordination plans
BYU-Hawaii's all-clear timing tracked the 8:58 a.m. HST July 30 statewide Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cancellation rather than issuing on independent local assessment
Outcome
Tsunami arrived with peak wave heights of approximately 5.7 feet measured across the Hawaiian Islands. Warning downgraded to advisory, then canceled statewide at 8:58 a.m. HST on July 30, 2025. Evacuees returned to coastal areas. No injuries reported at BYU-Hawaii. The largest waves measured in the islands occurred at Hilo (about 5 feet) and Kahului.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Tsunami Preparedness — BYUH Safety & Risk Management
    safety.byuh.edu
  2. Official
    Tsunami Warning issued for Hawai'i — Kauai County
    kauai.gov
  3. News
    Tsunami threat has passed for Hawaiʻi. Evacuees may return home (Hawaii Public Radio)
    hawaiipublicradio.org
  4. News
    Update: Tsunami advisory is canceled (Big Island Now)
    bigislandnow.com
  5. Student Paper
    Video of the Day: Hawaii tsunami calls for evacuation (BYU Daily Universe)
    universe.byu.edu
  6. Source
    2025 Kamchatka earthquake — Wikipedia
    en.wikipedia.org
Tags
tsunamiearthquakekamchatkaevacuationlaietemple-hillpacific-rimlds-affiliatedreligious-affiliatedprivate-bachelors
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion