Tengo un poco de miedo,Tsunami en Hawaii
Updated at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Hawaii under tsunami watch after 8.3 quake off Samoa
Hawaii is under a tsunami watch following a magnitude-8.3 undersea earthquake near the Samoa islands.
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The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated and early reports indicate waves have come ashore on American Samoa. So far, there are no reports of inuries.
Hawaii residents are being urged not to call 911 for updates. Instead, they should monitor the situation on television, radio or news Web sites, such as honoluluadvertiser.com.
State Civil Defense spokesman Ray Lovell said people should also check their emergency supplies and be on alert for siren warnings.
They can check the emergency preparedness section of their phone books or log on to www.scd.hawaii.gov to see if they are in an evacuation zone, Lovell said.
If residents are in an evacuation zone and sirens go off, Lovell said, "You should be prepared for the possibility you'll have to evacuate. But we don't want you running out and clogging roads. Walk out and don't even think about taking your car."
There is no way at this point to determine which areas of the Islands would be hit hardest by a potential tsunami because of the so-called "wraparound effect," Lovell said.
The 1946 tsunami that was generated by an earthquake in the Aleutian Islands brought the biggest waves on Oahu around Queen's Beach by Makapuu, Lovell said.
The warning center said the quake — originally designated at magnitude-7.9 — hit at 7:48 a.m., Hawaii time.
The tsunami watch was declared at 8:05.
The quake was located 110 miles east-northeast of Hihifo, Tonga; 125 miles south-southwest of Apia, Samoa; 435 miles north-northeast of Nukualofa, Tonga; and 1,670 miles north-northeast of Auckland, New Zealand.
In the Samoan capital of Apia, families fled their homes amid severe shaking that lasted for up to three minutes. Local media reported people were fleeing to higher ground.
The warning center said quakes of this magnitude have the potential to power destructive tsunami that can strike nearby coasts within minutes.
If a tsunami is generated, the earliest expected time of arrival in Hawaii would be 1:11 p.m., the warning center said.
A tsunami warning is in effect for American Samoa, Samoa, Niue, Wallis-Futuna, Tokelau, Cook Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Kermadec Islands, Howland-Baker, Jarvis Island, New Zealand, French Polynesia and Palmyra Atoll.
Hawaii is listed as under a tsunami watch along with Vanuatu, Nauru, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Johnston Atoll, New Caledonia, Kosrae, Papua New Guinea, Pohnpeo, Wake Island, Pitcairn Island and Midway.
This post will be updated as information is received.