Video by David Corrigan (uploading)

Cars evacuate Keaukaha througn Hilo Airport

HILO, Hawaii: Hilo has been through this before, and they are not taking any chances today.

Many residents in low lying areas on Hawaii Island fled their homes in anticipation of the tsunami that is expected to hit after 10:28 p.m. on Saturday night (HST).

At the Hilo International Airport, vehicles lined up in an orderly fashion in order to evacuate Keaukaha, as they have many times in the past.  The warning was issued after a 7.7 earthquake struck off the Queen Charlotte Islands Region (located in the province of British Columbia, Canada.)

At the Wailoa Small Boat Harbor, mariners scuttled to lift their craft out of the water to a safer place.

At the Hawaii County Civil Defense headquarters, county department heads joined emergency personnel in the  effort to carry out a safe and timely evacuation.

In this video, Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi speaks about the situation (this is the third tsunami  warning the mayor has dealt with since he took office in 2008) and gives an update on what emergency shelters are open on the Big Island of Hawaii.

The latest civil defense message from Hawaii County:

This is a Civil Defense message for Saturday October 27, 2012 at 9:48 PM HST. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued a Tsunami Warning for the State of Hawaii. An Earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 has occurred near British Columbia, Canada. A tsunami warning is in effect for the Island of Hawaii. The first wave has an estimated time of arrival on Saturday October 27, 2012 at 10:28 PM HST. All low coastal areas are at risk and must be evacuated immediately. Wave heights cannot be predicted and the series of waves may last several hours. Be prepared to remain out of the evacuated area for an extended period of time. I say again, you are ordered to evacuate all low-lying coastal areas immediately. We request that anyone not in the evacuation area stay off the roads and highways to facilitate evacuation efforts. Stay tuned to your local radio station for updates. You will be notified as conditions change. This is your Hawaii County Civil Defense.

Big Island Video News will continue to follow the events as they happen.