May 30, 1924 Tsunami: Hawaii, United States

May 30-31, 1924. A damaging storm generated wave reached 5 m at Kaumalapau Harbor on Lanai Island. A damaging wave

also hit the shores of Kauai Island at Nawiliwili. High waves were observed at Oahu. Researchers express doubt that the event was a true tsunami, although it has been linked to an eruption of Kilauea. (Soloviev and Go, 1975, p. 241~ Cox and Morgan, 1977, p. 47-48; Pararas-Carayannis and Calebaugh, 1977) (reference #236)

May 30 1924? A tsunami appeared on one of the last days of the month at Kaumalapau Harbor and on Lanai Island. It reached 5 m and caused great damage. The same occurred at Nawiliwili (Kauai Island) (Montandon, 1924 b; Sieberg, 1932; Jagger, 1946; Shepard et al., 1950). [Montandon's data are not precise. Sieberg places a report of the tsunami after a description of the strong and prolonged eruption of the Kilauea volcano, which began on May 20 and had been preceded since May 16 by numerous seismic shocks. A number of investigators (Iida et al., 1967; Pararas-Carayannis, 1969) correctly express doubt about the existence of a link between the tsunami and the volcanic eruption. Shepard (Shepard et al., 1950) considers the tsunami to be a flood of meteorological origin.] (reference #415)

May 30, 1924, Kilauea volcano?, 5 m at Lanai, Kaumalapau, Hawaii. Great damage reported (?). A tsunami generated off Kilauea volcano as postulated by Sieberg could not possibly be observed on Lanai without having serious effects elsewhere. Waves observed on Lanai were probably storm waves. Jaggar (1946) reports it as a tsunami with no details. (reference #79)