Tsunami Drill Thursday for Hilo Elementary School

Don’t be alarmed if you see a large amount of school children heading out of Hilo’s tsunami inundation zone on Thursday.

The exercise is part of Chiefess Kapi`olani Elementary School’s annual tsunami evacuation drill.

The drill will begin at the Kilauea Avenue school at 8:15 a.m.

The location of the Hilo school and the streets where the drill will take place is shown in this modified Google Maps image (click to enlarge).

Students will proceed from the school up Mohouli Street to Kinoole Street, where a “mass-crossing” will take place. They will then walk to Wailoa Street where they will cross again.

Once that portion is completed and all students from kindergarten through sixth grade are accounted for, the process will be reversed until all students are safely back at school.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area during the exercise because the crossings will require the stopping of traffic and resulting delays.