It began as a whisper—small but unsettling signs that something in Hawaii felt off. The tide pulled back too quickly, seabirds vanished, and dogs grew restless. A heavy stillness settled over the islands, the kind locals know never to ignore. Then, at 8:49 p.m., seismic monitors detected a powerful 7.5 earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. Minutes later, phones lit up across Hawaii as an official tsunami watch was issued, triggering immediate fear.