The massive earthquake and tsunami in March that devastated Japan left its mark on Hawaii, but most of the damage to the Big Island — the hardest hit of the islands — has been the confusion over whether there was anything permanent that should give tourists pause.
The answer is no.
“The effort to get everything back to normal was valiant and very quick,” says Leanne Pletcher, director of public relations for the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Kohala Coast. “Within a week, pretty much everything was back to normal.”
When the tsunami hit the Big Island at approximately 7 a.m. on March 11, it tore out the sea wall in the town of Kona, poured into many of the hotels — including the Four Seasons Hualalai in North Kona, which reopened April 29, and the Kona Village resort, which has yet to reopen — and took a house out to sea. Some businesses continue to repair damage, such as the companies that cruise out of the Keauhou Bay marina, which had to rebuild their offices, but they continue to operate as usual.
Maui also experienced damage after being hit by 7-foot waves, but according to Terryl Vencl, executive director of the Maui Visitors Bureau, the tsunami went easy on the island.
“We truly were blessed in that we had very minor damage, most of which was in our harbor,” Vencl says. “We have never shut down, there was never much more than a bit of a delay, and I don’t know of anyone who isn’t back in business.” Kyle Wagner
