April is Tsunami Awareness Month in Hawaii

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie named April 2013 Tsunami Awareness Month.

Abercrombie held a ceremony at the state Capitol on Monday to sign the proclamation.

Several agencies participated in the ceremony, including the Hawaii State Civil Defense, the City and County of Honolulu, Department of Emergency Management, and NOAA’s National Weather Service.

The declaration emphasizes the importance of tsunami awareness and preparedness.

Hawaii is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands and has a history of tsunamis.

The Pacific Disaster Center says tsunamis have killed more people in Hawaii than any other natural disaster.

Hawaii issued a tsunami warning as recently as October 2012 after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit the coast of Canada.