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 man recaps his life story from family background, growing up in Hana, and life in Hamoa. He describes the waves and destruction that occurred in Hamoa on April 1, 1946.

A Molokai resident describes the waves which washed ashore on April 1, 1946 and the destruction of beachfront houses in Kalaupapa.

A Puunene-born woman speaks of her family and growing up in Spanish B Camp. She describes teenage life when she attended St. Anthony's School in the 1950s. Also mentioned are her jobs, marriage, and children. She presents a detailed account of her escape from the 1960 tsunami which inundated Kahului and tells of the major cleanup which followed.

An adopted man describes growing up in the close-knit Hawaiian village of Hamoa, Hana, Maui. Age eleven in 1946, he recalls the tidal wave, which took his adopted mother and destroyed his home.

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 Maui man remembers life in Skill Camp, Paia, Maui. He outlines his family ancestry. He and his family moved to isolated Maliko Bay, where they escaped the 1946 tsunami by climbing a hill. He witnessed the destruction of his home by the waves.

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.

Maui-born man describes his traditional Hawaiian upbringing, fishing and growing taro for subsistence, in isolated Keanae. He touches on his various jobs, including county and Civilian Conservation Corps work. Although he only saw the aftermath of the April 1, 1946 tsunami, he recounts the experiences of his family and neighbors.

Living in Kaunakakai at the time, a woman tells of sleeping through the 1960 tidal wave and describes the beach the following morning.