Tsunami warnings have swept over 50 countries and territories this morning following the 8.9 magnitude earthquake which struck Japan Friday. Russia Australia Mexico and the United States are included in the warning issued by The National Weather Service.
The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has released an alert covering the entire western coastline of the United States
Tsunami waves were reported to wash over the Hawaiian Islands around dawn today. Waters seven feet high rolled into a Maui harbor nearly every 15 minutes this morning said authorities. No significant damage has been reported.
Wendy Watson-Wright of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization warns “This is a massive one and it will have different effects depending on the location on the seabed and on other sorts of characteristics.” She advises that all countries be on alert for the possible outcomes of the rushing waters traveling towards their coastlines.
A tsunami height of 1.2 feet is expected to crash onto Malibu shores in a statement released by the Weather Channel. While the likelihood of devastating damage is low the tsunami advisory warns of strong currents. Beach-goers and surfers are highly recommended to avoid the coastal and low-lying areas.
According to the Malibu Tsunami Information Brochure the first wave of a tsunami to hit the coast is often not the largest and rather a warning of a series of waves to roll in which may continue to arrive for a number of hours. A vast expanse of beach suddenly exposed by rapidly receding waters is a warning sign of an imminent tsunami.
This is not the first threat to West coast shores in the past year. The magnitude-8.8 earthquake in Chile put the U.S. Western coastline in danger of a massive tsunami in a warning issued Feb. 27 2010. Waves turned out to be much smaller than predicted and almost no damage was reported.
Friday’s 8.9-magnitude quake in Japan was the largest to hit the planet since the 9.0-magnitude tremor which struck Indonesia in 2004 which sparked a massive tsunami that killed about 250000 people in 14 countries and washed away entire communities. This resulted in nearly $10 billion in damage with more casualties than any other tsunami in history according to the United Nations.
(Updated) The death toll from the earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan is estimated to be over 1000 with 947 injured and 584 missing as reported in the official count by Japan’s National Police issued at 10:30 AM. Between 200 and 300 bodies have been found in the coastal city of Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture following the subsequent tsunami that struck that area. The official death toll is likely to rise.
President Obama says the U.S. is standing by to aid in recovery and sends condolences to the people of Japan.
To stay informed on emergency information and instructions for the Malibu area visit the city’s website here cable television channel TV-3 and radio station 1620 AM.