Tsunami Advisory: 6" to 8" waves starting around 9 pm

Update: 1600hrs - CA-SCR USAR TF-7 - Sacramento Fire Department USAR team is on Alert(Stand-by) for deployment to America Samoa.

Update: This advisory is in effect for Hawaii, California, and Oregon: A tsunami advisory indicates a tsunami which may produce strong currents and is dangerous to those in or very near the water is expected.
Large inundations are not expected in areas under advisory status.

Advisories will be canceled, extended, or upgraded to a warning depending on the event severity.

Advisories are issued when the expected tsunami amplitude is in the range of 0.3 to 1 meter.

A Tsunami Advisory is in effect which includes the coastal areas of California and Oregon from the California-Mexico border to the Oregon-Washington border.

THREAT IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN FOR COASTAL SAN DIEGO & ORANGE COUNTIES AROUND
900 PM THIS EVENING - AMPLITUDES IN THE RANGE OF 6 TO 8 INCHES

THE TSUNAMI IS EXPECTED TO BUILD AND REACH ITS MAXIMUM APPROXIMATELY ONE AND A HALF HOURS
 AFTER THE INITIAL ARRIVAL. 

This message is for Information Only for coastal areas of Washington, British Columbia and Alaska from the Oregon-Washington border to Attu, Alaska.

A Tsunami Advisory means that a tsunami capable of producing strong currents or waves dangerous to persons in or very near the water is imminent or expected. Significant, widespread inundation is not expected for areas under an advisory. Currents may be hazardous to swimmers, boats, and coastal structures and may continue for several hours after the initial wave arrival.

At 10:48 AM Pacific Daylight Time on September 29, an earthquake with preliminary magnitude 8.0 occurred in the Samoa Islands region. (Refer to the United States Geological Survey for official earthquake parameters.) This earthquake has generated a tsunami which could cause damage to coastal regions in a warning or advisory. The waves are expected to first reach Adak, Alaska at 7:25 PM AKDT on September 29. Estimated tsunami arrival times and maps along with safety rules and other information can be found on the WCATWC web site.

A tsunami has been observed at the following sites:

 Location                   Lat.   Lon.    Time        Amplitude
------------------------  -----  ------  -------     -----------

 Apia  West Samoa          13.8S  171.8W  1832UTC     0.70M/2.3ft
 Pago Pago  Amer. Samoa    14.3S  170.7W  1825UTC     1.57M/5.1ft
 Rarotonga  Cook Is. (NZ   21.2S  159.8E  1950UTC     0.54M/1.8ft
 FORECASTS INDICATE THAT A TSUNAMI WITH AMPLITUDES IN THE RANGE
 OF 20 TO 65CM IS EXPECTED ALONG THE CALIFORNIA AND OREGON COAST.   
 TSUNAMIS OF THIS AMPLITUDE CAN GENERATE STRONG CURRENTS DANGEROUS 
 TO THOSE VERY NEAR OR IN THE OCEAN.  THE TSUNAMI IS EXPECTED TO 
 BUILD AND REACH ITS MAXIMUM APPROXIMATELY ONE AND A HALF HOURS
 AFTER THE INITIAL ARRIVAL.  FURTHER ARRIVAL TIMES AND OTHER

More Information: http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/