TWITPIC: Tsunami warning produces gas lines in Kurtistown on the big island. It’s a good idea to keep your tank at least half-full so you can avoid these . . .

More twitter updates from Catherine Toth. And more links here, or just scroll down. More from Xeni Jardin, too.

UPDATE: Thanks to reader Joe Johnson, here’s a Kona beach webcam. Also, more on Twitter at #hitsunami.

MORE: TSUNAMI HITS POLYNESIA: “A weak tsunami has hit the Gambier islands in French Polynesia but there’s been no major damage because traffic was suspended in the region in a tsunami alert following the quake in Chile. Huge waves struck the Gambier archipelago at 6:30am on Saturday (3.30am AEDT Sunday), the high commissioner’s office in Papeete said. Sirens wailed in French Polynesia and PA systems woke up residents on Saturday to alert them about the impending waves.” Warning is important.