Kahului Surge Highest in State at 3.2 Feet

(Update: 1:38 p.m. 2/27/10)

Kahului Harbor expereinced the highest surge in the state when a sea level change of 3.2 feet was recorded at 11:46 a.m. over a 22 minute period. Photo by Pamela Tsutsui.

The tsunami warning is cancelled for the state of Hawaii effective at 1:38 pm HST. The cancellation comes following an 8.8 moment magnitude quake that originated near the coast of Central Chile at 8:34 p.m. HST on Friday, February 26, 2010.

Measurements or reports of tsunami wave activity are as follows:

Gauge location              latt        lon        time      amplitude          period
——————- —– —— —– ————— —–
Kawaihae, Hawaii           20.0n    155.8w 11:11    0.52m / 1.7ft      24min
Barbers Pt HI                 21.3n    158.1w 11:40    0.19m / 0.6ft      76min
Kaumalapau Hawaii        20.8n    156.9w 11:36    0.18m / 0.6ft      56min
Kahului Maui                 20.9n    156.5w 11:47    0.98m / 3.2ft      22min
Nawiliwili Kauai             22.0n    159.4w 11:51    0.28m / 0.9ft      44min
Pago Pago AS               14.3s    170.7w 11:32    0.66m / 2.2ft      12min

Lat – latitude (n-north, s-south)
lon – longitude (e-east, w-west)
time – time of the measurement (z is utc is greenwich time)
ampl – tsunami amplitude measured relative to normal sea level.
It is …not… Crest-to-trough wave height.
Values are given in both meters(m) and feet(ft).
Per – period of time in minutes(min) from one wave to the next.

Evaluation

Based on all available data there is no longer a destructive tsunami threat to the state of Hawaii. Therefore the tsunami warning for Hawaii is cancelled.

However some coastal areas in Hawaii may continue to experience small sea level changes and strong or unusual currents lasting for several more hours.

This tsunami warning cancellation does not mean it is now safe to resume normal activities or reenter evacuated shoreline areas.  Your county civil defense agency and police department will make this determination. Stay tuned to your local broadcast station for the civil defense -all clear- announcement for your area.

Repeat – do not reenter evacuated shoreline areas until announced by your county civil defense agency. Stay tuned to your local broadcast station for the -all clear- announcement for your area. Please yield to roadblocks and uniformed officers who are controlling reentry into evacuated shoreline areas.

This will be the final message issued for this event unless additional data are received.

(Posted by Wendy Osher; information provided courtesy Pacific Disaster Center)