[UPDATE: Newport Elementary & Beaches Closed, Small Waves in OC] No Tsunami Warning Issued for California As a Result of 8.8 Magnitude Japan Quake–Yet

UPDATE, MARCH 11, 8:14 A.M.: Newport Elementary School has been closed.

UPDATE, MARCH 11, 7:46 A.M.: Southern California is now under a tsunami advisory, rather than a warning. Waves could get as high as 7 feet in the Central Coast, but should be more in the neighborhood of 2 feet on Orange County beaches, The Orange County Register's Science Dude reports. We should see waves starting at approximately 8:37 a.m. Beaches are closed, but no evacuations have been ordered.

UPDATE, MARCH 11, 1:19 A.M.: Never mind. According to the National Weather Service Forecast office, a tsunami warning has been issued for the coastal areas of California and Oregon from Point Concepcion to the Oregon-Washington border. See the entire warning after the jump.


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ORIGINAL ITEM, MARCH 11, 12:40 A.M.: While a tsunami watch
has been issued for most of the Pacific–including Hawaii, Taiwan,
Guam, Russia and the Philippines–officials have not yet issued a
warning for the California coast, according to the Los Angeles Times.

It's predicted that a wave could hit Hawaii at 4:59 a.m. PST.

BULLETIN
TSUNAMI MESSAGE NUMBER 4
NWS WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER PALMER AK
1244 AM PST FRI MAR 11 2011

THIS MESSAGE UPDATES THE ALERT STATUS TO WARNING AND ADVISORY.

• A TSUNAMI WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT WHICH INCLUDES THE COASTAL AREAS OF CALIFORNIA AND OREGON FROM POINT CONCEPCION CALIFORNIA TO THE OREGON-WASHINGTON BORDER…
• A TSUNAMI WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT WHICH INCLUDES THE COASTAL AREAS OF ALASKA FROM AMCHITKA PASS ALASKA/125 MILES W OF ADAK/ TO ATTU ALASKA…
• THE TSUNAMI ADVISORY IS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE COASTAL AREAS OF CALIFORNIA FROM THE CALIFORNIA-MEXICO BORDER TO POINT CONCEPCION CALIFORNIA…
• THE TSUNAMI ADVISORY IS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE COASTAL AREAS OF WASHINGTON – BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALASKA FROM THE OREGON-WASHINGTON BORDER TO CHIGNIK BAY ALASKA…
• THE TSUNAMI ADVISORY CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL AREAS OF ALASKA FROM CHIGNIK BAY ALASKA TO AMCHITKA PASS ALASKA/125 MILES W OF ADAK/…

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
A TSUNAMI HAS BEEN GENERATED WHICH IS EXPECTED TO CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE WARNING AND/OR ADVISORY REGIONS LISTED IN THE HEADLINE. PERSONS IN LOW-LYING COASTAL AREAS SHOULD BE ALERT TO INSTRUCTIONS FROM THEIR LOCAL EMERGENCY OFFICIALS. EVACUATIONS ARE ONLY ORDERED BY EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES.

• PERSONS IN TSUNAMI WARNING COASTAL AREAS SHOULD MOVE INLAND TO HIGHER GROUND.
• PERSONS IN TSUNAMI ADVISORY COASTAL AREAS SHOULD MOVE OUT OF THE WATER… OFF THE BEACH AND OUT OF HARBORS AND MARINAS.