TSUNAMI ALERT ISSUED FOR US, CANADA JAPAN AND NEW ZEALAND AFTER VOLCANIC ERUPTION IN TONGA

Sat 15 January 2022:

Following an underwater volcanic eruption that hit the Pacific country of Tonga, a weather center issued a tsunami warning for the western coast of US and Canada.

The National Weather Service National Tsunami Warning Center (TWC) in Palmer, Alaska has issued a Tsunami Information Statement for Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California in the United States and for British Columbia in Canada. This alert is being shared in the wake of a massive explosive eruption that occured at a partially sub-marine volcano in Tonga in the South Pacific.

Surfer’s Beach in El Granada #California Stay on higher ground. #TongaVolcano #TongaVolcano #Californiacoast pic.twitter.com/T04Up94ohN

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) January 15, 2022

“The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center is analyzing the event to determine the level of danger,” the TWC advised. “Earthquakes of this size are known to generate tsunamis potentially dangerous to coasts outside the source region.” They also added, “This earthquake has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami in the source region.”

The National Weather Service’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) has already issued a Tsunami Advisory for Hawaii.

Tsunami has reached the US west coast as flooding reported in Santa Cruz, California following major volcano eruption off coast of Tonga. #Californiacoast #TongaVolcano pic.twitter.com/6BuhguQitW

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) January 15, 2022

“Based on all available data a major tsunami is not expected to strike the state of Hawaii. However, sea level changes and strong currents may occur along all coasts that could be a hazard to swimmers and boaters as well as to persons near the shore at beaches and in harbors and marinas,” the PTWC warned in a bulletin tonight. “The threat may continue for several hours after the initial wave arrival,” they added.

WATCH: Tsunami from volcano eruption in Tonga reaches Neskowin, Oregon#Tonga pic.twitter.com/Nn5dvGRNzG

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) January 15, 2022

The first waves have already begun hitting the US Pacific coast, Snider of the National Tsunami Warning Center told CNN via telephone on Saturday.

A wave as high as 1.2 feet had been observed in Nikolski, Alaska, he said, while waves as tall as one foot were observed in Atka, Adak and King Cove, Alaska.

“This may not be the largest wave as this is coming in yet,” Snider told CNN, saying the event was not over.

The waves reaching the US come after a tsunami advisory was issued for the US west coast, including the states of California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska, according to the National Tsunami Warning Center.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said Hawaii could also be affected, but damage to other islands hit by tsunami so far is minimal.

Japan issued a tsunami warning

Japan’s Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami warning for the southern Amami island and Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture and a tsunami advisory for all coastal areas facing the Pacific Ocean, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported. “A three-meter tsunami is expected to reach Japan following an undersea volcanic eruption off the Pacific nation of Tonga,” NHK said.

“The highest tsunami observed so far is 120 centimeters (about 3.9 feet) in the Kominato district of Amami-Oshima Island at 11:55 p.m. on Saturday (9:55 a.m. ET),” NHK reported.

New Zealand on alert

Scientist Emily Lane, of New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, told the New Zealand Science Media Centre that it was a “very significant” eruption.

“The shock wave from it is clearly visible in satellite imagery and there are reports of the eruption being heard at least as far away as New Zealand,” she said. “The tsunami from the eruption has reached over 2,500 km being recorded on gauges over all of Aotearoa.”

Tsunamis generated by volcanoes are much less common than tsunamis from underwater earthquakes, Lane said.

A smaller eruption in late 2014/early 2015 built up the crater of the volcano to above the surface of the water, Lane added, but it’s not yet clear exactly how Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai erupted on this occasion. “When we see what is left of the island after this eruption is over we can start to put together the pieces of what happened,” she said.

1.14.2022: (correction on date) Large volcanic eruption near Tonga (Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano) today as seen from outer space. Shown on visible imagery using the Himawari satellite. #hiwx #tsunami #earthquake pic.twitter.com/Y18W7wvXl9

— NWSHonolulu (@NWSHonolulu) January 15, 2022

The volcano, located 65-kilometers north of Tonga capital Nuku’alofa, had begun spewing ash, steam and gas Friday morning.

Tonga is a Polynesian kingdom of more than 170 South Pacific islands.

Authorities said the volcanic eruptions were seven times more severe than those on Dec. 20, 2021.

Meanwhile, the National Office of Emergency of the Interior Ministry in Chile also issued a tsunami warning for San Felix Island, Juan Fernandez Archipelago and Easter Island, located in the Antarctic and Pacific Ocean.

It asked the public to evacuate the coastal areas on the islands, and follow the instructions of the authorities.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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