| Date | 15 October 2006 |
|---|---|
| Magnitude | 6.7 Mw |
| Depth | 29 kilometres (18 mi) |
| Countries or regions | Hawaii, United States |
| Casualties | No reported deaths [1] |
The 2006 Hawaii earthquake was an offshore earthquake occurring 21 kilometres (13 mi) southwest from Puakō and 21 kilometres (13 mi) north of Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi, just offshore of the Kona Airport, on Sunday October 15, 2006 at 7:07:49 AM local time (17:07:49 (UTC)). It measured 6.7 on the moment magnitude scale, and was located at , at a depth of 29 km (18 mi).[2] It produced several aftershocks, including one that measured a magnitude of 6.0 seven minutes after the main shock.[3] The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center measured a four-inch (102 mm) tsunami on the coast of the Big Island.[4]
Modified Mercalli Intensity was measured at Force VII-VIII on the western side of the island of Hawaii, and Force VI on eastern Maui. Force V shaking intensity was felt all the way to Oahu, where patches of moderate damage were reported.[5]
The earthquake caused property damage, injuries, landslides, power outages, and airport delays and closures.[4] Governor Linda Lingle issued a disaster declaration for the entire state.[6][7]
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The most severe damage caused by the earthquake was focused on the north and western sides of the island of Hawaii. Damage was also quite heavy on the eastern side of Maui, and minor damage spread all the way out to western Oahu, 170 miles (270 km) away from the earthquake's epicenter. On the Big Island, many houses had large cracks and broken windows, and at least 61 buildings were destroyed and red-tagged by officials. Almost all houses in west Hawaii reported extensive internal damage but most avoided significant structural damage, the reason being that most of the buildings in the area around the epicenter of the earthquake have been built in the last few decades and are well constructed. Even so, over $200 million in damage occurred.[8]
The largest and most luxurious hotels on the Island of Hawaii also happened to be clustered within ten miles (16 km) of the earthquake's epicenter along the Kohala coast. The 1965 Mauna Kea Beach Hotel had its entire south end collapse, and the hotel's top floor was considered "destroyed." The hotel closed December 1 after a month-long inspection revealed that the building was unsafe and in danger of collapse. After a $150 million renovation, the hotel reopened in December, 2008.[9] [10] The Hapuna Prince Hotel was temporarily evacuated after the earthquake due to structural damage, broken glass and flooding caused by broken waterpipes.
Many roads and bridges collapsed or had deep cracks, and clean-up crews had to work for days to remove debris from the countless landslides. Many landmarks on the island were greatly affected. The Kalahikiola Congregational Church in Kohala was destroyed due to the collapse of the church's stone walls; the Hawi smoke stack, a relic of the old sugarcane trade, completely collapsed as well. The Hulihee Palace in Kailua Kona suffered extensive structural damage.[11] Another popular tourist area, Kealakekua Bay, home of the white monument to Captain James Cook, was swept over by massive landslides that caused the entire bay and its surrounding areas to momentarily disappear in a thick cloud of brown dust.[11]
After the earthquake, the owners of the Kohala Ditch – the Surety Kohala Corporation – finished an evaluation of the damage to, and future safety of, the “Ditch”. They determined that they could not repair the ditch to allow the flumin' the ditch tours to continue safely; the tours have been discontinued. Over 150,000 people in the 10 years prior had enjoyed this 22-mile (35 km) kayaking tour down old irrigation ditches.
Power plants on Maui and the Big Island automatically shut off power to prevent damage, and generators tripped on Oahu, causing overloads in the electrical grid.[12] The Oahu power outages lasted 14 hours in some locations; only half of Hawaiian Electric Company's (HECO) Oahu customers had power restored before 9 pm, while outages generally lasted to about 5 pm on Maui and Hawaii. Power was restored to all HECO circuits by 1:55 am; however, there were isolated blackouts due to local problems, such as blown fuses. Power in Laie and Kahuku was not restored until 3 am. In Honolulu and Kahe, HECO generators shut down, and other generators tried to compensate, resulting in uneven loads on Oahu's electrical network and causing the system to shut down to prevent damage.[13]
During the earthquake and aftershocks, a number of the telescopes at the Mauna Kea Observatory sustained minor damage, primarily Kecks 1 and 2, and the CFHT.[8] The CFHT was operational and back online as of 19 October,[14] however the Kecks were not restored to full operation until 28 February 2007.[15]
Democratic and Republican representatives were angered by the length of the power failure, calling for an investigation into proposed legislation to speed up blackout recovery. Governor Linda Lingle and some Hawaii State Senators said that Carlito Caliboso, chairman of the Public Utilities Commission, had been asked to research the outage and decide whether to begin a formal investigation.[16]
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