CNN An 8.8-magnitude earthquake has struck Japan

[J. J.]

West coast under a "watch."  NOT a warning.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/us-west-coast-hawaii-on-tsunami-watch/story-e6frf7jx-1226019930875

[Platypus]

depends on the path. Normally you'd expect very low effects in the southern hemisphere, but Chile and particularly Peru (and up) have infrastructure that wouldn't be able to cope with the surge they're being warned of of 2-3m.

[exopolitician]

Warning sirens in Honolulu. boo....not Hawaii.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

MSNBC just reported the West Coast is under the warning too, a friend in Washington was just notified.

So far the only thing issued has been a Tsunami Information Statement.  No watch, warning, or advisory for any portion of the U.S. other than Hawaii.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

West coast is not under anything.  Straight from the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center:

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Similar message for California.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

The message for the latest Japan event is:

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But the last things issued for the U.S. (outside of Hawaii) are days old.

[Smash255]

CNN just showing a massive inferno at an oil refinery east of Tokyo

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Warning for Mexico, Peru, and Chile, but not the West Coast or Alaska? OK.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Just got through to a friend in Tokyo, she's fine, but very scared.

The city is in a controlled state of panic, but she's having trouble getting in contact with friends who are in the North.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

The coastal U.S. and Canada get their warnings issued by the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WC/ATWC).  The rest of the Pacific is issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC).  Different forecasters have differnent opinions on whether or not it should be issued.

[exopolitician]

Just got this:

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Crazy.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

The coastal U.S. and Canada get their warnings issued by the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WC/ATWC).  The rest of the Pacific is issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC).  Different forecasters have differnent opinions on whether or not it should be issued.

Well, even better, the warning has been extended to Antartica, but not the West Coast. What a joke.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Advisory for part of Alaska, meaning the damage isn't expected to be great, if there is any.  The usually overestimate these things as a precaution, so if anything, I think we'll see minimal impacts on Alaska, but that's about it.

I'm guessing the watch will be cancelled, but there's the possibility of an upgrade to an advisory (I don't see that as likely).  But I really don't see a warning being issued for the continental U.S. if just an advisory was issued for Alaska.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Also, the fact that it's just an advisory for Alaska would lead me to believe the effects on South America won't be that bad, if they have any.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Just got this:

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Crazy.

A warning is more serious than a watch.

Watch: The west coast, and parts of Alaska
Warning: a ton of places, including freaking Antarctica

Yeah, this isn't winning any awards for consistency.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I'm reading an AP release on weather.com that says tsunami warning for Hawaii in the headline and tsunami watch in the article. wtf?!

[exopolitician]

Just got this:

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Crazy.

A warning is more serious than a watch.

Watch: The west coast, and parts of Alaska
Warning: a ton of places, including freaking Antarctica

Yeah, this isn't winning any awards for consistency.

I feel like the West Coast would be first to be alerted in a situation like this, since the proximity is closer. Especially now since parts of Hawaii are being evacuated.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

The fact that the PTWC issued a warning this far out seems premature to me.  If they end up cancelling it, it sets a bad precedent and leads the public to take them less seriously in the future.  I think the WC/ATWC was correct in issuing a watch for the West Coast.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

WCATWC site seems to be getting very overloaded right now... and so far, from what you guys have been posting, the media doesn't seem to be very accurate in saying what has/hasn't been issued.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Google has this on their homepage: Tsunami Alert for New Zealand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Hawaii, and others. Waves expected over the next few hours, caused by 8.9 earthquake in Japan.


Good idea by them on a way to get the word out.

[exopolitician]

http://www.weather.gov/

They've got random Tsunami Warnings issued from San Francisco up to Oregon, but Washington and Los Angeles are just advisories.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

From the WCATWC:

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The DART censors are reporting that "A LARGE TSUNAMI HAS BEEN GENERATED."

Hawaii is expected to be hit around 8:00 A.M. EST.  I can't get the ETA page to load for the latest warnings, but it'd be sometime after 8:00 A.M.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I found this part of the Hawaii Warning message somewhat interesting: "A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF LONG OCEAN WAVES...WHICH ARE NOT SURFABLE."

[exopolitician]

I found this part of the Hawaii Warning message somewhat interesting: "A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF LONG OCEAN WAVES...WHICH ARE NOT SURFABLE."

Just have to make sure I guess, you know there are going to be some idiots out there.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

A new product was just issued with more observations, but no changes to Warnings/Advisories.

This message was also included: "TSUNAMI AMPLITUDES ARE EXPECTED TO PEAK TWO TO THREE HOURS AFTER INITIAL ARRIVAL ALONG THE NORTH AMERICAN COAST."