Tsunami
Last weekend, we experienced a tsunami warning in Hawaii. The 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile was the cause of the warning. The whole state of Hawaii went through the drill. Some people stocked up on gas, groceries and water. Others moved to higher ground to avoid the potential waves.
All in all, I thought everyone handled the situation well. From the newsrooms to the tsunami warning center to the people of Hawaii, everyone stayed calm and informed. I heeded the advice to stay home and prevent potential traffic jams. I think it was extremely fortunate that the warning was on Saturday. If I remember correctly, the last tsunami warning was on a weekday, and the traffic was horrendous.
The actual tsunami turned out to be nothing more than a 1-2 foot surge. But what if a larger tsunami hit the islands? Would your homeowner’s insurance policy cover losses from a tsunami? Unfortunately, like earthquake losses, you would need to get separate coverage to cover flood (tsunami) losses. Flood coverage is provided through the federal government under the National Flood Insurance Program. Like earthquake insurance, flood insurance is very expensive. For the most part, only homes close to the shoreline or close to a water source (river, stream or lake) are required to purchase flood insurance.
If you have any questions about flood insurance, feel free to ask me.
Hiking in Hawaii
On Thanksgiving day, my daughters and I hiked the Hawaii Loa ridge trail. I thought it would be a good way to get a little exercise before Thanksgiving dinner. The trail is located at the top of Hawaii Loa ridge. There’s a park/bar-b-q area at the end of the road. Just past the park is the start of the trail.
The trail is relatively easy. We can’t go on any difficult trails since my younger daughter is only 6 years old. It’s a little steep in some areas, but my daughters had no problems going up. Coming down was a little harder for them since the trail was a little slippery from the previous day’s rain.
We hiked about an hour in, and then turned around. I’m told that it takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours to hike to the top of the ridge. Plus, it gets much steeper towards the top. We’ll have to try the trail again when we have more time.
We’ve been hiking quite a bit over the last year or so. We’ve done the Diamond Head trail, the Makapuu trail, the Pacific Palisades trail, the Mariner’s ridge trail and the Kamehame ridge trail. On the Mariner’s ridge and Kamehame ridge trails, we were able to make it to the top. It’s a nice view of the windward side from the top. The Makapuu hike also provides a stunning view Makapuu beach and the Waimanalo coastline.
My daughters seem to enjoy the hiking, so I’m sure there will be more hikes in the future! Please comment if you know of any other kid friendly trails. I’ve hiked the Aiea loop trail in the past, so that might be our next hike.
