Born in Puunene, a woman describes growing up in a plantation town, Japanese domestics in the household, and schooling at English-standard Kaunoa School. A Punahou School alumna, she describes her Mainland college experiences, including witnessing racial discrimination. She details the Speckelsville beachfront house her parents built with the help of a Japanese stone mason. A child in 1946, she explains how she, her family, and house guests escaped the tsunami.

A Molokai-born man tells of his family background, schooling, homes, and jobs. He also speaks of the changes in Kaunakakai. Working in Maunaloa on April 1, 1946, he remembers his concern for his family, trip home over muddy roads to Kamalo, and tidal wave damages on the east end.

A part-Hawaiian man recalls living in Kahului with his musician grandmother and businessman grandfather. Six years old on April 1, 1946, he tells of running with his grandparents from the tsunami that washed into their Kahului Beach Road home. He also outran the 1960 tsunami and witnessed the damage it caused in Kahului.

A former Marine Corps officer describes the Spreckelsville beach neighborhood where he lived in 1946. He explains his duties inspecting the Naval Air Stations at Puunene and Kahului. He shares anecdotes and observations on the 1946 tsunami, including the ensuing damages.

A woman recalls the lifestyles of her mother, a teacher; father, a plantation engineer; uncle, a plantation manger; and aunt. She also describes Lahaina town and Lahainaluna School and the effect of World War II on her daily life. Safe at school when the 1946 tsunami hit, she relates how the ocean looked that day and how the tidal wave affected Spreckelsville and Mala village.

A woman recalls her parents and growing up in Hana, Maui. She tells of moving to Molokai and meeting her husband. On the beach with family members when the 1957 tidal wave arrived, she describes the receding ocean, their getaway in a truck, and a near accident.

Originally from Oregon, a woman tells of her family's relocation to Hawaii and subsequent moves to Hilo and Lahaina. She shares childhood memories of December 7, 1941. Also remembered is the effect of the 1946 tsunami on her Lahaina home and aunt's Spreckelsville home.

A Molokai resident talks about fish ponds and fishing on the east side. A teenager in 1957, he watched the incoming tidal wave flow beneath him from his perch on a mangrove tree.

A man raised in Kahului's Kanaha Camp touches on his parents, schooling, and work. He retains a trace memory of tsunami flooding in Kahului.

In a discursive interview, a man depicts his family's self-sufficient lifestyle in Kapaa, Kauai. Also covered are his experiences in Honolulu, including witnessing an accident during air maneuvers. He recounts the events of the 1957 tsunami on Kauai, including anecdotes about his brother-in-law's survival and his gathering of fish washed ashore by the waves.