Wednesday evening in Waikiki ended in classic Hawaiian style, with a stunning red, orange and gold sunset, children laughing and splashing in waves lapping the shore – and parents sipping cocktails from plastic cups.

A massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake, one of the most powerful ever recorded, struck Russia's Far East early on Wednesday, causing tsunami waves in Japan and Alaska. View on euronews

As threat assessments touched off warning sirens across Waikiki, hotels began moving guests mostly to higher floors — a standard protocol known as vertical evacuation.