How big were the waves when the tsunami created by the Chile earthquake hits Hawaii?”
A tsunami triggered by a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Chile has swept across Hawaii without causing damage. Oceanographer Nathan Bedford has told CNN water levels in Hawaii are rising by about a metre before receding then rising again. Mr Bedford says these waves are striking every 20 minutes. The waves have caused no damage to date, but bigger waves are possible. There is a tsunami warning in place for Australia’s east coast from Tasmania to Queensland as the wave moves across the Pacific. The American islands had hours of warning and authorities sounded sirens and moved people to higher ground. Boats, including US Navy ships, moved out to deeper water so that they would be unaffected by the wave. Supermarkets were swamped by customers stocking up on emergency supplies. Hawaii was struck by a tsunami in 1960 after a 9.5 magnitude earthquake struck off Chile, the strongest quake ever recorded. That quake struck in the same region as yesterday’s. Earlier
SENDAI (JAPAN): Japan evacuated more than 320,000 people today as a tsunami triggered by Chile’s massive earthquake sent waves up to 1.20 metres high barrelling into its long Pacific coastline. Seawater swells inundated buildings in several harbours. Authorities warned coastal communities to stay on high alert and keep clear of the shore as more powerful tsunami waves could follow. There were no immediate reports of injuries or major property damage. Japan’s “major tsunami alert” — warning of the threat of monster waves that could top three metres — was the country’s first in more than 15 years. From early morning, tsunami warnings flashed across all television channels and evacuation sirens wailed across the east coast of the archipelago. Massive steel gates slammed shut across the entrances to fishing ports. Coastguard vessels and air force jets fanned out to search for stray ships still at sea and to observe any damage. “Please do not approach the coast at any cost,” Prime Ministe
Waves generated by the 8.8-magnitude quake started to smack Hawaiian beaches about noon local time, but they were smaller than the six-foot monsters scientists had feared. The water surged more than three feet in Kahului Bay in Maui before the tsunami warning was canceled in the early afternoon, officials said. Hawaiian residents had awakened at dawn to the blast of emergency sirens. Police closed roads and roped off coastal areas, and thousands of people were evacuated. But there were no reports of flooding or damage, and by Saturday evening, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center had lifted its warning for the entire Pacific except for Russia and Japan.
