kahului two feet. our warning threshold is three feet. this was below the warning threshold, so it's beginning to look like the evacuation may not have been necessary. >> but it was still a good precaution. >> well, yes, it was still a great precaution. and since everyone has evacuated, let us do the job and make sure it's safe before we cancel. >> issued an evacuation effort based on the strength of the earthquake which was higher than you initially predicted, so that was above the threshold of what you typically go by? >> yeah. we issued the warning not just based on how big the earthquake was but how big the tsunami was. unfortunately, it was how big the tsunami was when it was measured off from the side. so we didn't have a good measurement on it. and it seems now like the forecast was an overprediction. but let's wait and see. >> can you take us through that process? i know there are 13 spots you are monitoring chosely. based off of that, you have to see a trend going down wards. what's the mark that you have to reach before you can

topping the list, 23 inches at kahului harbor. actually 30 inches now. yeah.ll in all, it's big enough to cause problems in the harbors. maybe strong currents. not quite big enough to cause destruction or problems on shore. this is what we're going to continue to see all night long. but it looks like it may have been an overprediction of three feet to seven feet. >> katherine cruz has been out there in waikiki. you've been looking at the water. seeing any changes at all? >> actually i was upstairs after i hung up with you. i went upstairs. we were watching from the second floor and didn't see much. a lot of tourists actually moved back and went back in, i guess, to their hotels when they didn't see any waves out there on the beach. i'm actually up here by waikiki elementary school where there are about a dozen police officers lined up. all the police cars are lined up along paki avenue. a lot of these officers are actually from the waikiki substation. that place is all locked down. all the the first responders have moved back. this is where everybody's staging

. >> hilo and kahului are on the list here to be on alert.rtin, cnn producer, in a hotel in hawaii. thanks so much for talking to us. be safe. to recap for viewers, there is a tsunami warning in place for hawaii. it is not through the entire pacific and we should make that clear. but it is for hawaii. less than two hours from now the first wave is second to hit. victor sardina described it as kind of an unusual situation. the model showed a bit of a spike in the activity and that caused them to sort of do their figuring and get the warning in place. no chance is being taken here. karen mcguiness is standing by in the international weather center with more information. an unusual situation and people need to take heed and take the warning. >> exactly. one of the interesting aspects of this tsunami warning for hawaii is that the water level may actually recede a little bit before we start to see the rush of water associated with the tsunami right before it happens. don't be fooled by the fact that the water level looks low and they're now estim