Wave hits oceanfront condos in Keauhou
A huge wave slammed the Keauhou-Kona Surf and Racquet Club on Hawaii’s Big Island and sent water over the roof of the condo building. The force was strong enough to tear shingles away and scatter debris, which is a pretty vivid reminder that the ocean does not care about real estate brochures. People nearby watched as the wave rolled across the complex and poured off the roof in sheets. The scene was captured on video and showed just how much damage a single surge can do when the sea decides to take a closer look at land.
Warnings were already in place
The National Weather Service had issued a High Surf Advisory before upgrading it to a High Surf Warning as the swells grew more dangerous. Officials said a south-southwest swell, combined with seasonal King Tides, could produce large breaking waves and strong currents along exposed shorelines. The forecast called for waves of about 10 to 15 feet, which sounds less like a beach day and more like a reason to keep your sandals and common sense indoors. In plain English, the warning was there before the wave arrived, which is how these things are supposed to work when the system remembers to be useful.
Video shows the roof getting peeled apart
The video from the scene shows the wave crashing over the top of the complex while bystanders react in shock. A second clip, taken from a slightly closer angle, shows shingles being ripped away as water surges across the roofline. For homeowners, the lesson is not subtle. Coastal weather can turn expensive very fast, and flood insurance starts to look less like a boring line item and more like a bargain after the fact. Hawaii sees powerful surf every year, but this strike was a sharp reminder that the shoreline always gets the final word.
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