Details in my EQ
Sideblog and there is a Tsunami warning:
A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR
TONGA / NIUE / AMERICAN SAMOA / SAMOA / WALLIS-FUTUNA / FIJI
FOR ALL OTHER PACIFIC AREAS, THIS MESSAGE IS AN ADVISORY ONLY.
AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS
ORIGIN TIME - 1527Z 03 MAY 2006
COORDINATES - 19.9 SOUTH 174.2 WEST
LOCATION - TONGA ISLANDS
MAGNITUDE - 7.8
EVALUATION
IT IS NOT KNOWN THAT A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED. THIS WARNING IS
BASED ONLY ON THE EARTHQUAKE EVALUATION. AN EARTHQUAKE OF THIS
SIZE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO GENERATE A DESTRUCTIVE TSUNAMI THAT CAN
STRIKE COASTLINES IN THE REGION NEAR THE EPICENTER WITHIN MINUTES
TO HOURS. AUTHORITIES IN THE REGION SHOULD TAKE APPROPRIATE
ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSSIBILITY. THIS CENTER WILL CONTINUE
TO MONITOR SEA LEVEL GAUGES NEAREST THE REGION AND REPORT IF ANY
TSUNAMI WAVE ACTIVITY IS OBSERVED. THE WARNING WILL NOT EXPAND
TO OTHER AREAS OF THE PACIFIC UNLESS ADDITIONAL DATA ARE RECEIVED
TO WARRANT SUCH AN EXPANSION.
ESTIMATED INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE ARRIVAL TIMES. ACTUAL ARRIVAL TIMES
MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE LARGEST. THE TIME
BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE TSUNAMI WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR.
LOCATION COORDINATES ARRIVAL TIME
-------------------------------- ------------ ------------
TONGA NUKUALOFA 21.0S 175.2W 1551Z 03 MAY
NIUE NIUE IS. 19.0S 170.0W 1557Z 03 MAY
AMERICAN SAMOA PAGO PAGO 14.3S 170.7W 1620Z 03 MAY
SAMOA APIA 13.8S 171.8W 1622Z 03 MAY
WALLIS-FUTUNA WALLIS IS. 13.2S 176.2W 1643Z 03 MAY
FIJI SUVA 18.5S 178.5E 1704Z 03 MAY
BULLETINS WILL BE ISSUED HOURLY OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.
THE TSUNAMI WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
THE WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER WILL ISSUE BULLETINS
FOR ALASKA - BRITISH COLUMBIA - WASHINGTON - OREGON - CALIFORNIA.
Hawaii has been advised:
TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 002
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER
0634 AM HST 03 MAY 2006
TO - CIVIL DEFENSE IN THE STATE OF HAWAII
SUBJECT - TSUNAMI ADVISORY SUPPLEMENT
A TSUNAMI ADVISORYIS IN EFFECT FOR THE STATE OF HAWAII.
AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS
ORIGIN TIME - 0527 AM HST 03 MAY 2006
COORDINATES - 19.9 SOUTH 174.2 WEST
LOCATION - TONGA ISLANDS
MAGNITUDE - 7.8 MOMENT
EVALUATION
THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER HAS ISSUED A NON-EXPANDING
REGIONAL TSUNAMI WARNING FOR A PART OF THE PACIFIC NEAR THE
EARTHQUAKE. BASED ON ALL AVAILABLE DATA THERE IS NO DESTRUCTIVE
TSUNAMI THREAT TO HAWAII.
HOWEVER...SOME COASTAL AREAS IN HAWAII COULD EXPERIENCE SMALL SEA
LEVEL CHANGES AND STRONG OR UNUSUAL CURRENTS LASTING UP TO
SEVERAL HOURS. THE ESTIMATED TIME SUCH EFFECTS MIGHT BEGIN IS
1133 AM HST 03 MAY 2006
BULLETINS WILL BE ISSUED HOURLY OR SOONER AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.
More as I get
it.Update (0949
MST) - First news report:
BANGKOK, Thailand — A magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck early Thursday near the South Pacific nation of Tonga, the U.S. Geological Survey said. A tsunami warning was issued for Fiji and New Zealand.
The temblor, classified by the USGS as a "great" quake, struck 95 miles south of Neiafu, Tonga, and 1,340 miles north-northeast of Auckland, New Zealand. It occurred 20 miles beneath the sea floor.
The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued the tsunami warning but said it was not known whether the quake generated a potentially deadly giant wave.
Update II (1053
MST) - Cancelled:
THE TSUNAMI WARNING IS CANCELLED.
Update
III: One injury reported:
...However there were few early reports of injury or damage in Tonga, although a hotel guest hurt his leg when he jumped from a third-floor window.
"He was the only tourist injured. He jumped from his room, maybe he was afraid," said William Vea, the night receptionist at the Pacific Royale Hotel...
Ooops.Update
IV - Small Tsunami
observed:
A TSUNAMI HAS BEEN OBSERVED AT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
PAGO PAGO 30CM/0.98FT
NIUE 42CM/1.38FT