One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck off the east coast of Russia on Tuesday night, generating a tsunami threat that has forced evacuations in Hawaii and triggered warnings across the U.S. West Coast, British Columbia and southern Alaska.
Important points
Active tsunami warnings
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) maintains tsunami watches and warnings for:
- Hawaii (active warning)
- Northern California and parts of Alaska (warning)
- Rest of the U.S. West Coast and British Columbia (preventive warning)
The earthquake, of magnitude 8.8occurred east of Petropavlovsk, Russia.
"A tsunami has been generated and could cause damage to the coastlines of all the islands in the state of Hawaii."said the PTWC. "Urgent action must be taken to protect lives and property."
Magnitude of the tsunami and possible impacts
Initial data indicate that the waves could exceed 2.7 meters (9 feet) on some coasts of the northwest Hawaii and Russia. Waves of 1 to 3 meters in areas of Hawaii, Japan and Guam.
Hawaii wave arrivals and evacuations
The PTWC estimates that the first waves will reach Hawaii at around 7:10 p.m. local time (1:10 a.m. ET). The Hawaii Governor Josh Greenhas ordered immediate evacuations of all coastal areas:
"We expect significant damage in coastal areas. If you stay on the beach, you risk your life."he warned.
It is recommended that those in buildings evacuate or go upstairs to at least four stories. The tsunami sirens have been sounding at intervals throughout the afternoon, and a new activation was scheduled for at 6:40 p.m. HSTas a 30-minute warning.
Road congestion and closures
- Highways in Hawaii are collapsed due to the evacuation.
- At Kauaiwas asked to avoid the area of Hanalei.
- At Mauivehicles and equipment have been deployed on state highways.
- The Hilo airport suspended operations to facilitate evacuations.
- All the commercial ports are closed and the ships were sent out to sea.
Impact on California and U.S. West Coast.
On Tuesday night, a portion of Northern California went from warning to warning. tsunami warning. PTWC estimates:
- Waves of 0.8 to 1.5 meters (2.6-4.8 feet) at Crescent City.
- To 1.1 meters (3.7 feet) at Port San Luis.
"Significant coastal flooding with dangerous currents is expected."warned the National Weather Service in Eureka.
The warning covers from Cape Mendocino to the border between Oregon and California. The rest of the California coast is expecting waves of less than 30 cm.
Tsunami arrival in other regions
- Washington and Oregonwaves estimated to be less than 1 foot (30 cm), except in the following areas Moclipswhere they can reach 0.4 m (1.4 ft.).
- San Franciscoestimated arrival at 12:40 a.m. PT.
- Los Angeles: around the 1:05 a.m. PT.
- British Columbiasmall waves, no risk of serious flooding.
Japan also under tsunami warning
Japanese authorities issued warnings for multiple regions in eastern Japan. Waves of between 0.3 and 0.4 metersbut some areas are expected to receive tsunamis of up to 3 meters (9 feet).
The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo urged immediate evacuation to higher ground.
A historic earthquake
The earthquake of magnitude 8.8 could be among the six strongest ever recorded in the world, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
🛑 This is a developing situation. At canalmeteo.tv we will continue to update this information in real time.
