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http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/02/27/chile.quake.hawaii/index.html?hpt=C1
Panic as Hawaii braces for possible tsunamiFebruary 27, 2010 12:04 p.m. EST
CNN) -- Sirens sounded early Saturday morning across Hawaii, warning people of a possible tsunami and telling people to in coastal areas to evacuate.
The sirens sounded at 6 a.m. local time (11 a.m. ET) to warn of a tsunami triggered by a 8.8 earthquake in Chile.
The siren systems in each county are sounding to "to alert residents and visitors to evacuate coastal areas," Hawaii's Civil Defense Division said in a statement.
"Residents will be advised by their respective country civil defense or emergency management agencies to evacuate coastal areas."
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu said Hawaii was certain to see some effect from the earthquake.
"We believe it will be a threat here in Hawaii, that's why we initiated a warning, not only for a Hawaii, but for the entire Pacific," said Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu Director Charles McGreevey.
Asked by CNN affiliate KHON whether it was possible Hawaii wouldn't see any effect from the earthquake, McGreevey said, "No, I wouldn't say that's possible at all. I think there's no chance we'll see no effect from this event.
"So people need to take this very seriously."
Speaking of the evacuations, John Cummings, Oahu Emergency Management Department spokesman, told The Honolulu Advertiser that, "If you live anywhere in the evacuation zone, you have to evacuate."
"This is a serious event. We're going to treat this as a destructive-type tsunami."
Before it had become daylight, boaters in the Kewalo Basin area in Honolulu were already loading up supplies and were getting ready to take their boats off shore, CNN affiliate KITV reported.
People rushed to supermarkets to stock up on food, water and other supplies.
"We got lots of water, we got our batteries, we got toilet paper," one woman told KITV, while she stood in a line with other shoppers and their carts stuffed with supplies.
Asked if she was scared, another shopper said, "Very, very. We're from Georgia, so ..."
Businesses in the area said they will be closed all day Saturday, the affiliate reported.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for countries as far away as Russia and Japan. California and Alaska are also under a tsunami advisory.
Several tsunami waves have come ashore along the Chilean coast after the earthquake, which killed at least 122 people, USGS geophysicist Victor Sardina said.
He said the largest was recorded at 9 feet near the quake's epicenter. Another wave, 7.7 feet hit the Chilean town of Talcahuano, according to Eric Lau of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
Video from the town showed one car sitting in a large expanse of water.
American Red Cross spokesman Jonathan Aiken said the headquarters were keeping a close eye on Hawaii. Shelters there run by the local government but are staffed and stocked by the American Red Cross, he said.
Two U.S. military officials told CNN that the military is trying to assess the threat of a tsunami to Hawaii to decide whether any of its assets should be moved. No decision has been made yet.
In 1960, a tsunami triggered by an earthquake on South America's west coast, destroyed much of downtown Hilo and killed 61 people, according to the USGS.
The earthquake had a magnitude between 8.25 and 8.5, the USGS said, and the waves in Hilo Bay reached 35 feet, but only 3 to 17 elsewhere.
CNN's Barbara Starr contributed to this report.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/02/27/chile.quake.hawaii/index.html?hpt=C1
Panic as Hawaii braces for possible tsunamiFebruary 27, 2010 12:04 p.m. EST
CNN) -- Sirens sounded early Saturday morning across Hawaii, warning people of a possible tsunami and telling people to in coastal areas to evacuate.
The sirens sounded at 6 a.m. local time (11 a.m. ET) to warn of a tsunami triggered by a 8.8 earthquake in Chile.
The siren systems in each county are sounding to "to alert residents and visitors to evacuate coastal areas," Hawaii's Civil Defense Division said in a statement.
"Residents will be advised by their respective country civil defense or emergency management agencies to evacuate coastal areas."
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu said Hawaii was certain to see some effect from the earthquake.
"We believe it will be a threat here in Hawaii, that's why we initiated a warning, not only for a Hawaii, but for the entire Pacific," said Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu Director Charles McGreevey.
Asked by CNN affiliate KHON whether it was possible Hawaii wouldn't see any effect from the earthquake, McGreevey said, "No, I wouldn't say that's possible at all. I think there's no chance we'll see no effect from this event.
"So people need to take this very seriously."
Speaking of the evacuations, John Cummings, Oahu Emergency Management Department spokesman, told The Honolulu Advertiser that, "If you live anywhere in the evacuation zone, you have to evacuate."
"This is a serious event. We're going to treat this as a destructive-type tsunami."
Before it had become daylight, boaters in the Kewalo Basin area in Honolulu were already loading up supplies and were getting ready to take their boats off shore, CNN affiliate KITV reported.
People rushed to supermarkets to stock up on food, water and other supplies.
"We got lots of water, we got our batteries, we got toilet paper," one woman told KITV, while she stood in a line with other shoppers and their carts stuffed with supplies.
Asked if she was scared, another shopper said, "Very, very. We're from Georgia, so ..."
Businesses in the area said they will be closed all day Saturday, the affiliate reported.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for countries as far away as Russia and Japan. California and Alaska are also under a tsunami advisory.
Several tsunami waves have come ashore along the Chilean coast after the earthquake, which killed at least 122 people, USGS geophysicist Victor Sardina said.
He said the largest was recorded at 9 feet near the quake's epicenter. Another wave, 7.7 feet hit the Chilean town of Talcahuano, according to Eric Lau of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
Video from the town showed one car sitting in a large expanse of water.
American Red Cross spokesman Jonathan Aiken said the headquarters were keeping a close eye on Hawaii. Shelters there run by the local government but are staffed and stocked by the American Red Cross, he said.
Two U.S. military officials told CNN that the military is trying to assess the threat of a tsunami to Hawaii to decide whether any of its assets should be moved. No decision has been made yet.
In 1960, a tsunami triggered by an earthquake on South America's west coast, destroyed much of downtown Hilo and killed 61 people, according to the USGS.
The earthquake had a magnitude between 8.25 and 8.5, the USGS said, and the waves in Hilo Bay reached 35 feet, but only 3 to 17 elsewhere.
CNN's Barbara Starr contributed to this report.
