(Bloomberg - March 11th, 2011)
The tsunami that slammed Japan hit Hawaii early today, and waves were spreading as people along the island chain's coast evacuated and warnings were issued for U.S. West Coast states.
Hawaii was hit by a 1-meter (39-inch) wave, according to scientists at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which wasn't anticipating major damage.
The Coast Guard in Hawaii has received no emergency calls, according to Kurt Fredrickson, chief petty officer for the 14th district, based in Honolulu. Ports in Honolulu and Guam remain closed until any damage can be assessed, he said.
The tsunami swept through Hawaii about seven hours after Japan was struck by its strongest earthquake on record. The 8.9- magnitude temblor shook buildings across Tokyo and unleashed a seven-meter-high tsunami that killed hundreds as it engulfed towns on the northern coast. Within hours of reaching Hawaii, waves were hitting the coast of Oregon, the Associated Press reported.
The Philippines, Indonesia and Chile were among more than 20 countries told to brace for a possible tsunami, after the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center raised an alert. The U.S. issued tsunami warnings and watches in Hawaii, Alaska, California, Oregon and Washington state, as well as Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands, Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate said in a statement.
"We remind everyone who lives in the region to monitor their local news for instructions from their state and local officials, and if told to evacuate, evacuate," Fugate said.
In Waikiki, a tourist area of Honolulu, guests at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach and Outrigger Reef hotels were moved above the fourth floor well before the tsunami's arrival. Hotel managers and employees gathered in an 11th-floor suite to watch the tsunami from 100 feet above.
Bonnie Lopez and her daughter Pasha, who live on the second floor of a two-story walk up on nearby Lewers Street, sought shelter at the Outrigger.
"It was scary when the police and fire department came through our neighborhood," Lopez said. "Last year's tsunami wasn't like this one."
The waves hit about 20 minutes later than predicted. When the water began to retreat off Waikiki Beach, Lopez said that she'd never seen anything like it.
"It was like someone had taken the thing out of the bath tub and let all the water run out," she said.
(Music - Ficara - "High Tides of Maui")
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