Tsunami Warning for Hawaii after 8.7M earthquake hits Russia; evacuation zones in place

HONOLULU (Island News) – The National Weather Services has issued a Tsunami Warning for Hawaii after an earthquake hit Kamchatka, Russia on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the National Weather Service, an 8.7 magnitude earthquake occurred off the east coast of Russia at approximately 1:25 p.m.

Officials reported that a tsunami has been generated that could cause damage along coastlines of all islands in the state of Hawaii. Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property, NWS says.

If tsunami waves impact Hawaii, the estimated earliest arrival of the first tsunami wave is 7:10 p.m. of Hanalei, Kauai, but 7:17 for the rest of Hawaii on Tuesday, NWS reports.

According to City and County of Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, tsunami sirens will sound at 4:10 p.m., 5:10 p.m., and 6:10 p.m.

courtesy CCHNL

Evacuation Information

The public is urged to get out of the evacuation as soon as possible; anywhere outside of the evacuation zone is considered a safe place. If possible, make plans to evacuate to a family member or friend’s home who lives outside the evacuation zone.

Click here to view the evacuation zone via the Oahu Department of Emergency Management.

Click here to see the evacuation zones per county.

As of 3:50 p.m., the Kauai Police Department shut down traffic going westbound across Hanalei Bridge. Eastbound traffic is open for evacuation. Officials advise the public to stay off the road if at all possible.

Officials say that if you’re in an evacuation zone, take your Go Bag and evacuate outside of the RED tsunami zone or evacuate vertically to at least the 4th floor of any building at least 10 stories tall.

Click here to view tsunami refuge areas.

The County of Hawaii has directed the evacuation for all tsunami inundation zones as a result of the Tsunami Warning. Emergency shelters will be opened at the following locations on Hawaii Island:

Puueo Community Center
Panaewa Park
Keaau Armory
Pahoa Neighborhood Facility
Kau District Gym
Naalehu Community Center
Yano Hall
Kealakehe High School Gym
Waimea Community Center
Hisaoka Gym
Honokaa Gym

Mayor Blangiardi announced that all state workers can go home for the day.

“A Tsunami is a series of long ocean eaves. Each individual wave crest can last 5 to 15 minutes or more and extensively flood coastal areas. The danger can continue for many hours after the initial wave as subsequent waves arrive. Tsunami wave heights cannot be predicted and the first wave may not be the largest,” reported NWS.

Courtesy NWS

What are the differences between a Tsunami Info Statement, Watch, Advisory, and Warning?

A Tsunami Information Statement means an earthquake has occurred but there is no threat or it was very far away and the threat has not been determined. In most cases, there is no threat of a destructive tsunami.

A Tsunami Watch means that an earthquake occurred, but it’s unknown at this time if a tsunami has been generated. A Tsunami Watch is when the public should be prepared to act because a tsunami may later impact the watch area. During this alert is when authorities are still collecting more information.

A Tsunami Advisory means that a tsunami with the potential to generate strong currents or waves to those in or near the water is imminent, expected, or occurring. During this alert is when the public should stay out of the water, away from beaches and waterways.

A Tsunami Warning is a tsunami with potential to generate widespread inundation is imminent, expected, or occurring. During this alert is when the public should move to high ground or inland.

For more information on how to better understand the different Tsunami Alerts, click here.

This story will be updated once more information becomes available.