Waiakea, Hawaii
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{{coord |19|40|32|N| 155|6|10|W|type:city_region:US-HI|display=title}}
Waiākea is an ancient subdivision (ahupua{{okina}}a) in the Hilo District of the Big Island of Hawai{{okina}}i and an early settlement on Hilo Bay.
Origin
The name comes from wai ākea in the Hawaiian Language meaning "broad waters",{{Hawaiian Dictionaries |waiakea |HASHae4a9199850bf0e9616f69 |dic=hpn |accessdate= October 27, 2010 }} and sometimes what is now called Hilo Bay was called Waiākea Bay.{{Hawaiian Dictionaries |waiakea |dic=pp |accessdate= October 27, 2010 }}
Waiākea is home to many and has its own schools. It stretches for miles and ends at Waiākea-Uka (the area on the slopes of Mauna Loa). Waiākea-Uka houses many expensive houses, including a Swiss chateau. There are also some cattle farms in Waiākea-Uka, and a state forest reserve.{{cite web| url=http://hawaii.gov/dlnr/dofaw/nars/reserves/big-island/waiakea |title=Waiakea Natural Area Reserve |accessdate=2009-06-16}}
There are four schools located in the Waiākea complex: Waiakeawaena Elementary School, Waiakea Elementary School, Waiakea Intermediate School, and Waiakea High School.
Waiākea Stream flows from the slopes of Mauna Loa at {{coord |19|37|57|N| 155|10|41|W| type:landmark_region:US-HI |display=inline |name= Waiākea Stream Source }} into Waiākea Pond at an elevation of only {{convert |10 |ft}} at {{coord |19|42|53|N| 155|4|35|W| type:landmark_region:US-HI |display=inline |name= Waiākea Pond }}.{{GNIS |364496 |Waiākea Stream }}
History
When William Ellis visited in 1823, Waiākea was the main settlement on Hilo Bay.William Ellis A Narrative of an 1823 Tour through Hawai{{okina}}i, republished 2004, Mutual Publishing, Honolulu {{ISBN|1-56647-605-4}}, chapters 11 and 12
The Waiākea Mission (now called Haili Church) was the first church in eastern Hawai{{okina}}i island, founded in 1824.
Several eruptions of Mauna Loa (the most recent in 1984) have threatened the area.{{cite web|url=http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/HCV/mloa-eruptions.html|title=Mauna Loa eruption history|publisher=Hawaii Center for Volcanology|accessdate=2009-06-15|last=Rubin|first=Ken|author2=Rochelle Minicola |year=2004}} Tsunamis devastated Waiākea-Kai (along the coast), with the largest in 1946 and 1960.{{cite book| title=The Tsunami of 1946 and 1960 and the Devastation of Hilo Town| author=Walter Dudley and Scott Stone| publisher=Donning Company| year=2000| ISBN= 1-57864-123-3}} A clock found in the rubble set to the exact time when it stopped in 1960 serves as a memorial.