Tsunami!

On April 1, 1946, shortly after sunrise, the town of Hilo on the island of Hawai'i was devastated by a scrim, giant tidal waves. Traveling 2,300 miles from the Aleutian Islands in less than five hours, the waves struck without warning and claimed 159 lives.

Fourteen years later, on May 22, 1960, a massive earthquake occurred off the coast of Chile. The earthquake generated giant waves that sped across the Pacific at 442 miles per hour, reaching Hilo in just fifteen hours. The first wave to hit the town was a modest four feet higher than normal, the second nine feet. Before the wave could arrive, a tidal phenomenon known as a bore smashed into the Hilo bay front, with thirty-five foot waves that wrenched buildings off their foundations. That day, several city blocks were swept clean of all structures and 61 people died.