Chaos surrounded Hawaii as the tsunami warnings on TV and sirens went out everywhere on Sunday, Oct. 27 all over the islands.

When people heard the announcement that the tsunami was set to hit 10:28 p.m after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit the Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia, Canada, all restaurants, clubs, and stores in Waikiki were shut down. This led to people trying to evacuate or get to higher ground.

At 10:28 p.m. the first waves began to hit Hawaii but only about 1.5 feet high every 10 to 12 minutes and 4.5 feet in Maui.

The whole state reported little or no damage from the tsunami waves, but four serious car accidents occurred on Molokai and Oahu. One person died in a crash near a road that was closed because of a threat near North Shore.

On Oahu and the Big Island, some sirens worked while others failed even after monthly tests. This led some people to believe Hawaii was badly prepared, but, The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center was able to give out a warning three hours beforehand which gave people time to prepare and be aware. First responders began necessary evacuations from beaches, all shorelines, and flood zones right after getting the warning.

The tsunami ended up being much smaller than expected and the tsunami advisory was cancelled right before 4 a.m. the next day.