Businesses across the state were closing or dismissing employees early, and hotels have begun moving guests mostly to higher floors, a standard protocol known as vertical evacuation.
Jerry Dolak, president of the Hawaii Hotel & Visitor Industry Security Association, said Hawaii’s visitor industry is focused on “vertical evacuation and finding food.”
“We are advising guest of the warning and giving them the option to evacuate to the fourth floor or higher or leave the inundation zone,” Dolak said. “We are recommending that (the guests) get some food prior to because they will be waiting a while.”
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Jessica Lani Rich said the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii is monitoring the situation, and is standing by to respond if the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority asks them to assist visitors. Rich said she was getting supplies ready such as food and phone chargers in case visitors, who are evacuated, need support from VASH.
She said the agency had been notified along with other businesses in the Waikiki Shopping Plaza to evacuate the building.
There were reports that even the ubiquitous ABC Stores are closing in Waikiki, as well as many other businesses and restaurants.
Sam Shenkus, vice president, director of marketing for the Royal Hawaiian Center, said all merchants were notified at 3 p.m. of the threat, and given the option to close. She said by 4:30 p.m the majority of the center’s retail and restaurants were closed; although, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue in the food court and the Cheesecake Factory were still open.
“There are people who are trying to buy food,” she said.
Shenkus said she left her car in the center’s parking lot to walk home because “it’s bumper to bumper traffic. I’m on Kalaimoku and Kuhio and the traffic is bumper to bumper coming into Waikiki and out of Waikiki and coming up to the Ala Wai — that’s a parking lot. People are merging into lanes at 3 mph and it’s grid-locked.”
She said it took another staff member 30 minutes to get out of the center’s garage.
“You have a lot of people that work in Waikiki and don’t live in Waikiki, thousands of them,” she said.
Shenkus said from her observations Waikiki traffic is a lot worse than the last disaster. “People are taking this more seriously. I think because of Lahaina and because in this instance the initial wave warning was 8.7 feet and that’s a lot,” she said.
There also have been reports of other businesses dismissing employees early when possible; although, typically hotels are fully staffed.
Jerry Gibson, president of the Hawai‘i Hotel Alliance, said, “A lot of the hotels are on the beach and across from the beach. They are moving everyone to higher floors and checking provisions. They are also looking at moving everything that is in a low-lying area, including cars and machinery.”
Gibson said hotels are distributing flashlights because “elevators and electrical can be knocked out.”
He said hotels, particularly those on the beach, are putting out sand bags, and they will assist in closing the beaches to respond to a tsunami warning.
The Hawai‘i Department of Transportation has activated emergency procedures, and is telling people to monitor its social media platforms for updates. HDOT has suspended commercial operations at Hilo International Airport to facilitate emergency evacuations from Keaukaha.
HDOT is telling people not to head into Hanalei to help those trying to evacuate.