Magnitude 7.9 Quake off Alaska Prompts Tsunami Warning
A magnitude 7.9 earthquake hit the Gulf of Alaska in the early hours of Tuesday, prompting warnings of a possible tsunami down the Canadian and U.S. west coast and as far away as Hawaii. Local radio on the Alaskan island of Kodiak, close to the epicenter, urged listeners to move away from coastal areas. "This is a tsunami warning. this is not a drill. Please get out to higher ground," said the announcer on KMXT public radio. "If you are on the flats, get up on one of the hills ... There were no immediate reports of damage or injury. The quake, initially measured at magnitude 8.2, hit around 250 km (160 miles) southeast of Chiniak, Alaska at a depth of 25 km at 0931 GMT, the U.S. Geological Survey said. "If you are located in this coastal area, move inland to higher ground.
Tsunami Alerts Triggered by Chile 8.2 Quake
A powerful earth quake identified by the US Geological Survey as situated about 52 miles north-west of the mining area of Iquique killed at least 5 people, and 6ft waves have hit some areas of Chile. Power cuts, fires landslides are also mentioned by BBC News. Citing the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the BBC says that an initial warning was issued for Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Panama, but later all watches and alerts were later lifted except for Chile and Peru. Tsunami watches – in which the danger of tidal waves is deemed to be less serious – had been in place for Costa Rica…
NYK Line Launches Tsunami Ship Alert System
Tsunami warnings issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency and other weather service providers will be sent to vessels via NYK's 'e-missions' system. The warnings are intended to allow affected vessels to determine the best course of action through contact with those on shore and use of the Tsunami-Response Guidelines NYK developed and released last year. When a tsunami warning is issued, a tsunami alert will be sent (in English) to NYK vessel operators and about 800 vessels that make use of NYK 'e-missions'.
Pacific Ocean – Tsunami Near Samoa
The NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued a bulletin cancelling its prior tsunami warning. The warning was based on a strong earthquake in the Samoa Islands region. Waves in excess of 5 feet were experienced in that region and the death toll there could reach 100. Smaller waves were observed elsewhere in the Pacific basin, little damage was reported outside of the Samoa Islands. (9/29/09). (Source: Bryant’s Maritime News)
