276 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1947 



and 13 missing. Those listed as missing have been missing for more 

 than 2 months, and must be presumed dead, bringing the total number 

 of probable dead to 159. Great as it was, this loss of life was moderate 

 compared to that in some other tsunamis, such as that of 1896 in the 

 Sanriku district in Japan, which took more than 27,000 lives (Byerly, 

 1942, p. 72). 



' Injury sufficiently serious to require hospitalization. 



• Homes only; other buildings not included. Data from Lewers & Cooke, Ltd. 



MITIGATION OF DISASTERS RESULTING FROM FUTURE TSUNAIVIIS 



There is no Hawaiian shore which is exempt from tsunamis. The 

 most likely sources of devastating tsunamis are the North Pacific and 

 South America. The areas heavily hit by the 1946 tsunami are prob- 

 ably those most likely to be hit hard again by tsunamis from the North 

 Pacific. Violent tsunamis from Central or South America might, how- 

 ever, cause much more damage than did the 1946 tsunami along eastern 

 and southern coasts. There is also possibility of serious damage on 

 western shores by a tsunami from Japan, particularly if the tsunami 

 occurred during a heavy southwesterly storm. Tsunamis of local 

 origin might do heavy damage on any shore. 



It is obviously impractical to consider the removal of all dwellings 

 from Hawaiian shores because of the danger from tsunamis. It might, 

 however, be advisable to prevent or restrict building in certain areas 

 of gi-eatest danger, particularly in centers of heavy population, such 

 as the waterfront at Hilo. Construction of suitable sea walls might 

 also be advisable in places. Sea walls cannot, however, be built high 

 and strong enough to hold the water back completely, and an open 

 zone should be left back of the wall in which the water pouring over 

 the wall can use up its energy in turbulence. Any construction per- 

 mitted in such areas should be of a wave-resistant type, such as rein- 

 forced concrete. These wave-resistant buildings would have the added 

 virtue of serving as a line of defense for frailer structures behind them. 

 Frame structures in rural areas should be built up off the ground, and 

 far enough back from the edge of the beach to reduce the danger of 

 undercutting. They should also be properly reinforced and tied 

 together. 



