Oahu residents reacted this morning to the approach of a tsunami:

>> “This has turned out to be a heck of a 40th birthday surprise for me” — Jennifer Canaya-Michel of Makiki as she waited in a line of vehicles at the Aloha gas station at the corner of Queen Emma Street and Vineyard Boulevard.

>> “You don’t want to overdo it. I’ve been through this stuff before. I filled the bathtubs at home and some containers. If I don’t need it, I’ll put it on the garden” — Wand William Rietow of Enchanted Lake as she put a case of bottled water in her cart at the Kailua Safeway store.

>> “I buy things you can put on the grill ’cause you’re not going to have power” — Dennis Fong of Keolu Hills as he bought charcoal, pasta, corn tortillas, pasta sauce. chicken broth and bleach to purfiy water.

>> “I need gas, and I’m afraid when I leave in the morning they’re going to run out of gas” —  Safeway cashier Brenda Irvine, who was busy at work.

>> “Customers told us the waited in line 45 minutes to an hour” —  Waipio-Gentry Foodland courtesy clerk Sherry Dixon. 

>> “Three days, bare minimum survival” — Johnny Abarra of Waipio-Gentry as he and his wife bought 12 50-ounce bottles, canned goods and batteries.

>> “This is our third evacuation here. We were here last year after the Chile earthquake and about two years ago. I can’t remember why, but it was because of a tsunami.” — Brandon Mayola of Ewa Beach and his family as they waited in a tent in the middle of the Waipio Gentry Shopping Center parking lot.