During the recent tsunami warning in Hawaii, residents encountered major traffic jams that slowed evacuations. Thousands of commuters, including Devin Fukunaga, reported long delays. “It takes its toll sitting down for two and a half, three hours for something that should be 15 minutes,” Fukunaga told KITV. Roger Morton, director of the city’s Department of Transportation Services, said that adjustments to stoplight patterns were not enough to prevent intersections from becoming blocked, leaving drivers stuck through multiple light rotations.
State Sen. Sharon Moriwaki said the gridlock on evacuation routes into Waikiki, which could take hours to navigate, was a serious concern, calling it “It was really a bad situation on the ground,” according to Hawaii News Now. She urged the need for stronger contingency plans for coastal areas. Retired HPD deputy chief John McCarthy said, “There’s a lot of stress involved in that that can turn into physical health problems for some people or cause accidents, road rage, that sort of thing. So, could it have been handled better? I think so,” referring to the risks of congestion during emergencies. Waikiki Rep. Adrian Tam said some residents chose to stay in high-rise buildings instead of evacuating due to the traffic delays…