A British woman on a dream cruise turned disaster has shared the terrifying moment she and fellow passengers were told they were in “immediate danger” as tsunami alerts blared across Hawaii.

Rachel Burrows, from the UK, was vacationing in the Pacific and exploring Hawaii’s Big Island on July 29 when her relaxing getaway took a frightening turn.

Her phone, along with thousands of others, suddenly lit up with emergency alerts warning of an incoming tsunami – prompted by a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake that had struck just off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.

As waves over five feet began crashing into Hawaiian shores, emergency services ordered people to evacuate low-lying coastal areas immediately. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) initially predicted that the first tsunami waves would slam Hawaii early as mid-evening on July 29, sending shockwaves of panic across the islands.

Floodwaters began surging into coastal areas, triggering urgent evacuation orders as officials pleaded with the public to move inland.

Cruise ship passenger shares scary warning after Hawaii tsunami alert

Cruise passenger Rachael Burrows was exploring Hawaii when tsunami alerts suddenly hit – forcing her to drop everything and “run” for safety back to the ship.

“So we were on a tour around the volcanic area of the Big Island in Hawaii and towards the end of the tour, as we were luckily heading back towards the cruise ship, we started getting the emergency warnings on our phone,” Burrows told the BBC.

“The first one was ‘tsunami you’re in immediate danger you need to move away from the coast and get to higher ground.’ The tour guide, who is local, just said we always get these it won’t be anything.”

Burrows added that the tour was then scheduled to stop at a local chocolate factory – but as they “pulled up to that,” traffic suddenly came to a standstill.

That was when the tour guide realized something was wrong, calling the gridlock “very unusual.”

“And it’s because everyone was beginning to evacuate,” she said of the mass panic. “Then as we pulled up to the factory, the shop owner’s like, ‘no, you need to go, it’s closing, you need to go.’”

“So he brought us back to the cruise ship, but it was really scary because all the sirens started going off around the area, because obviously it was quite serious. We got off the tour bus and everyone was just running trying to get on the ship.

Downgraded to advisory

“They were closing the ship off because we needed to get out to sea. We were one of the last ones to get back on the ship and then we could see a lot of other people getting dropped off and lining up, but they didn’t make it, they were told to get to higher ground on shore, so it was quite scary.”

With Burrows safely back on the ship that’s heading to its next port, the tsunami warning was downgraded to an advisory – but officials warned the danger wasn’t over.

“Tsunami Warning downgraded to Tsunami Advisory. Evacuations canceled for Oahu. Residents may return home.  Remain cautious in or near the water. Widespread flooding is NOT expected. Stay away from beaches, shorelines, and out of the ocean,” the Oahu Department of Emergency Services posted on X in the early hours of July 30.

Even under advisory status, strong currents, beach hazards, and sudden surges remain possible for several hours, prompting officials to close beaches, evacuate marinas, and instruct ships to head for deeper waters when safe.

The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) also issued a statement on X, announcing that a “Tsunami NOT expected for CA, OR, WA, BC, or AK.”

The quake – one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded, according to – set off widespread tsunami warnings across Japan, Russia, Canada, and the United States, including Hawaii.

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