Tsunami Watch

[roverhi]

Some areas of California may be affected. Assum it's the areas of the coast with a southern exposure. California saw some affect from the 1960 earhquake but that was the largest earthquake that's ever been recorded. This one has not generated a tsunami the size of the wave that hit Hilo, HI in 1960. Official estimate is 8' wave. That doesn't sound like much when we are expecting 30 footers on Monday from a storm in the N. Pacific. Tsunami waves aren't the same as normal ocean waves however. Apparently the entire column of water from the surface to the bottom heaves up and is multiplied in shallow water. Anyway, they've got Hilo Bay on local television and we'll see what happens.

FWIW, a lot of the deaths that occured in the 1960 tsunami here were the result of curiosity. People went out in Hilo Bay to get fish that were stranded as the Tsunami sucked the water out before the wave came in and others were just down at the water front to see the excitement. People are a lot more aware of the effects of a Tsunami now. Notice a lot more boats out on the ocean from Honokohau Harbor, Kona than is usual. Still a lot of boats in the harbor, however.

Aloha
Peter O.

[Pacific Jewel]

Talked with a number of people on Oahu today - including family. Boats leaving the Ala Wai in droves. Better safe than sorry. Here in NZ not much happening although alert. Let's hope we're all lucky and it will turn out to be a non-event.

[Randy]

I have a nephew in Kwagalein, Marshall Islands and he said it's only supposed to be a 5cm event there.

[Stillraining]

Best wishes to all...Take care Simon & tdw.

[Butler]

Reported earlier in Latest News...Chile 8.8
We are in the middle of our third flood cycle here in L.A. Harbor and have seen at least one meter of rise and fall with strong currents.

[ConradG]

They've called off the warning in Hawaii. Four or five waves came through at about a meter measured.

[Butler]

Total of three waves it looks like. We are about 5 miles up the main shipping chanel from Angels Gate tucked in behind Terminal Island. I only witnessed the two later waves seeing about a meter's difference. The owner of one boat just down the dock said that prior to the first wave he saw his depth guage quickly go from 14ft. to 9ft. The 300ft. scrap steel carrier that left for deeper water early A.M. is now being manuvered back alongside the opposite dock to finish loading. There was a container ship that also left and I suppose it will return
A friend who lives within sight of Pt. Fermin Light looked out early this morning to find the parking lot completely packed with cars and spectators lined up thick along the walls at the top of the cliff.

[lucseawalker]

Lucky all of us again! At about 10am this morning, the alert was lifted in Tonga & Fiji. It is now 1230pm here in Port Vila and nothing to report.
So I don't think Oz will see anything later!

[roverhi]

They just cancelled the Tsunami warning for Hawaii. There was no big wave though the effects were dramatic in Hilo Bay here and Kahului Harbor on Maui. There was about a 3' tidal flow that went from full flood to full ebb in a period of less than 10 minutes. Was like looking at time lapse photography only it was live in real time. In any case, no damages or incidents to report. The public stayed away from the Tsunami inundation areas except for a very very few idiots, those that had to evacuate did it without a great snarl of traffic.

Heard that the Marquesas got more serious effects from the Tsunami. Report was enough wave activity that there was some waterfront property damage. The waves are still racing across the Pacific so there is a possibility of some danger if the Tsunami happens to coincide with the local tides when it arrives.

It was a beautiful day for a sail, too bad my boat's in Alameda.

Aloha
Peter O.

[hummingway]

Japan had a 7 quake yesterday and went on tsunami alert. I think they said they got 10 cm and then went back on alert today. I didn't here how it went today.

[senormechanico]

We had absolutely no noticeable changes at our dock on Whidbey Island.