TSUNAMI WATCH CANCELLED: After 7.8 M Solomon Islands Quake

UPDATE: Tsunami Watch Cancelled for Hawaiʻi as of 8:40 a.m. HST 12.08.16

The magnitude has been downgraded from an 8.0 to a 7.8. Based on all available data from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center there is no tsunami threat to the State of Hawaiʻi. Therefore, the tsunami watch is cancelled.

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A tsunami watch is issued for the state of Hawaiʻi following an 7.8 M (revised downward by the USGS as of 8 a.m.) earthquake (8.0 preliminary magnitude) reported at 7:39 a.m. HST on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016 in the Solomon Islands.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says that based on all available data, a tsunami may have been generated by this earthquake, that could be destructive on coastal areas even far from the epicenter.

An investigation is currently underway to determine if there is a tsunami threat to Hawaiʻi.

If tsunami waves impact Hawaiʻi, the estimated earliest arrival of the first tsunami wave is at 2:56 p.m. HST on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016.

The USGS reports that the quake occurred at a depth of 48.7 km and was located:

68 km (42 mi) WSW of Kirakira, Solomon Islands
204 km (126 mi) SE of Honiara, Solomon Islands
806 km (499 mi) SE of Arawa, Papua New Guinea
829 km (513 mi) NW of Luganville, Vanuatu
1085 km (672 mi) NW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES:  Individuals in low-lying areas should begin emergency preparations.  Please refer to the front yellow section of the telephone book for preparedness information and evacuation areas.  Prepare your “go kit” if you need to evacuate to higher ground.  Be prepared to evacuate when advised/ordered by Civil Defense.

POTENTIAL IMPACTS (as noted by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center)

* A tsunami is a series of waves.  The time between wave crests can vary from 5 minutes to an hour.  The hazard may persist for many hours or longer after the initial wave.
* Impacts can vary significantly from one section of coast to the next due to local bathymetry and the shape and elevation of the shoreline.
* Impacts can also vary depending upon the state of the tide at the time of the maximum tsunami waves.
* Persons caught in the water of a tsunami may drown, be crushed by debris in the water, or be swept out to sea.

**Please check back for updates.

Solomon Islands earthquake, 12.8.16. PC: USGS.

Solomon Islands earthquake, 12.8.16. PC: USGS.

Solomon Islands earthquake, 12.8.16. PC: USGS.