A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 hit off the coast of Russia on Tuesday. This occurrence made Hawaii and Alaska issue tsunami warnings and other regions of the West Coast issue advisories.
The U.S. Geological Survey claimed that the earthquake happened around 85 miles off the east coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula and was almost 12 miles deep. The agency changed the reported strength of the earthquake from 8.0 and 8.7 to 8.0 and 8.7.
The USGS says that there were further aftershocks in the area with magnitudes of 6.3 and 6.9.
Hawaii and Alaska’s Aleutian Islands were warned of a tsunami. While the problem is being looked into, California, Oregon, and Washington are under a tsunami advisory.
There was a Tsunami Watch on the California coast, but now there is a Tsunami Advisory. If a wave does materialize, it should impact California about 11:50 p.m. and Los Angeles around 1:00 a.m. local time. Huntington Beach, which is further down the coast, is closing its pier and beaches to keep people safe.
The USGS said that Guam and American Samoa, which are both U.S. territories, are also on tsunami watch.
The first tsunami wave is scheduled to impact Hawaii right around 7:15 p.m. local time. Oahu Emergency Management states that tsunami waves that inflict damage are likely to happen.
Sources told ABC News that the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency had established its Emergency Operations Center. Officials have also turned on their Joint Information Center on purpose and are meeting with the team of Hawaii Governor Josh Green.
Right now, sirens are going off on all of Hawaii’s islands as part of their statewide warning system. For the next three hours, they will go off every ten minutes.
Authorities suggest that people should stay away from the coast. People in Honolulu were urged to leave the main evacuation zone or go up at least four floors in a building.
The National Weather Service reported that all of the island’s beaches are at risk since tsunami waves go around islands.
“The danger can last for hours after the first wave, as more waves come in.” The NWS issued out a warning that said, “We can’t say how high the tsunami will be, and the first wave may not be the biggest.”
There was also an advisory for Japan’s Pacific Coast, from Hokkaido to Kyushu.
The weather office in Japan predicted that a tsunami approximately 1 meter (3 feet) high is expected to hit Hokkaido in the north about 10:00 a.m. local time. Later in the day, waves will reach parts of Kyushu in the south and eastern Honshu.
People are urged to stay away from the water, river mouths, and the coast.
A tsunami warning means that a tsunami is likely to strike, which could create floods and powerful currents that could be dangerous. A tsunami watch means that an earthquake has happened far away and there is a chance that a tsunami will happen.
