Posted: February 27, 2010 11:56:39 AM PST
Although a Tsunami advisory remains in effect for the outer coast, Bellingham and Whatcom County are not expected to be significantly impacted. Latest projections from the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center suggest that Bellingham may experience wave amplitudes (measured from sea level) of up to one half of a foot (.46') late this afternoon. Bellingham and Whatcom County Emergency Managers continue to monitor the situation. See latest Tsunami Advisory and Special Weather Statement below:
TSUNAMI MESSAGE NUMBER 13
NWS WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER PALMER AK
1106 AM PST SAT FEB 27 2010
...A TSUNAMI ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT WHICH INCLUDES THE
COASTAL AREAS OF CALIFORNIA - OREGON - WASHINGTON - BRITISH
COLUMBIA AND ALASKA FROM THE CALIFORNIA-MEXICO BORDER TO
ATTU ALASKA...
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
A TSUNAMI HAS BEEN GENERATED WHICH COULD IMPACT THE 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 ADVISORY AREAS SHOULD MOVE OUT OF THE
WATER... OFF THE BEACH AND OUT OF HARBORS AND MARINAS.
THIS MESSAGE IS BASED ON EARTHQUAKE DATA... OBSERVED TSUNAMI
AMPLITUDES... HISTORICAL INFORMATION AND FORECAST MODELS.
A TSUNAMI HAS BEEN OBSERVED AT THE FOLLOWING SITES
LOCATION LAT LON TIME AMPL
------------------------ ----- ------ ------- -----------
BALTRA ECUADOR 0.4S 90.3W 1430UTC 0.45M/1.5FT
QUEPO COSTA RICA 9.4N 84.2W 1417UTC 0.27M/0.9FT
SANTA CRUZ GALAPAGOS E 0.5S 90.2W 1241UTC 1.07M/3.5FT
MANZANILLO MEXICO 19.0N 104.2W 1709UTC 0.43M/1.4FT
RIKITEA FR. POLYNESIA 23.1S 135.0W 1534UTC 0.27M/0.9FT
ACAPULCO MEXICO 16.8N 99.9W 1804UTC 0.54M/1.8FT
CABO SAN LUCAS MEXICO 22.5N 109.5W 1758UTC 0.33M/1.1FT
CHATHAM ISLAND NZ 44.0S 176.4W 1844UTC 0.24M/0.8FT
HIVA OA MARQUESAS FR. 9.8S 139.0W 1710UTC 3.14M/10.3FT
PAPEETE FR. POLYNESIA 17.5S 149.6W 1808UTC 0.22M/0.7FT
TSUNAMI FORECASTS AT SELECTED POINTS - MORE ON WEB SITE
LA JOLLA CA 0.8M/2.6 FT LOS ANGELES CA 0.8M/2.6 FT
MALIBU CA 1.0M/3.3 FT PISMO BEACH CA 1.4M/4.6 FT
HALF MOON BAY CA 1.0M/3.3 FT SAN DIEGO CA 0.4M/1.3 FT
HUMBOLDT BAY CA 0.4M/1.3FT CRESCENT CITY CA 0.6M/2.0 FT
PORT ORFORD OR 0.3M/1.0 FT MOCLIPS WA 0.4M/1.3 FT
TOFINO BC 0.5M/1.7 FT SITKA AK 0.4M/1.3 FT
SEWARD AK 0.4M/1.3 FT KODIAK AK 0.7M/2.3 FT
WAVE HEIGHTS ARE EXPECTED TO PEAK APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS
AFTER INITIAL ARRIVAL.
TIME - TIME OF MEASUREMENT
AMPL - TSUNAMI AMPLITUDES ARE MEASURED RELATIVE TO NORMAL SEA LEVEL.
IT IS ...NOT... CREST-TO-TROUGH WAVE HEIGHT.
VALUES ARE GIVEN IN BOTH METERS(M) AND FEET(FT).
PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS
MAGNITUDE - 8.8
TIME - 2134 AKST FEB 26 2010
2234 PST FEB 26 2010
0634 UTC FEB 27 2010
LOCATION - 36.1 SOUTH 72.6 WEST
- NEAR COAST OF CENTRAL CHILE
DEPTH - 34 MILES/55 KM
THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER IN EWA BEACH HAWAII WILL
ISSUE MESSAGES FOR HAWAII AND OTHER AREAS OF THE PACIFIC
OUTSIDE THE STATES AND PROVINCES PREVIOUSLY LISTED.
TSUNAMI ADVISORIES MEAN 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.
THIS MESSAGE WILL BE UPDATED IN 60 MINUTES OR SOONER IF
THE SITUATION WARRANTS. THE TSUNAMI MESSAGE WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. REFER TO THE INTERNET SITE
WCATWC.ARH.NOAA.GOV FOR MORE INFORMATION.
PZZ650-655-673-750-775-565-670-530-535-545-560-455-540-450-
356-255-310-350-210-250-110-130>135-150-153-156-170-PKZ310-
031>036-041-042-011>013-021-022-043-051-052-053-120-121-125>129-
130-140-141-132-136>138-150-155-170-171-172-175-176-CAZ039>043-
087-034-035-530-006-506-508-509-529-002-505-001-ORZ022-002-
021-001-WAZ001-021-503-506>511-514>517-AKZ023-024-026>029-
018>022-025-017-131-135-121-125-145-171-181-185-187-191-272036-
/O.CON.PAAQ.TS.Y.0005.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
COASTAL AREAS BETWEEN AND INCLUDING THE CALIFORNIA-MEXICO
BORDER TO ATTU ALASKA
1106 AM PST SAT FEB 27 2010
...A TSUNAMI ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT WHICH INCLUDES THE
COASTAL AREAS OF CALIFORNIA - OREGON - WASHINGTON - BRITISH
COLUMBIA AND ALASKA FROM THE CALIFORNIA-MEXICO BORDER TO
ATTU ALASKA...
PERSONS IN TSUNAMI ADVISORY AREAS SHOULD MOVE OUT OF THE
WATER... OFF THE BEACH AND OUT OF HARBORS AND MARINAS.
TSUNAMI ADVISORIES MEAN THAT A TSUNAMI CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
STRONG CURRENTS OR WAVES DANGEROUS TO PERSONS IN OR VERY NEAR
WATER IS IMMINENT OF EXPECTED. SIGNIFICANT WIDESPREAD INUNDATION
IS NOT EXPECTED FOR AREAS IN AN ADVISORY. TSUNAMIS ARE A SERIES OF
WAVES POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SEVERAL HOURS AFTER INITIAL ARRIVAL
TIME. ESTIMATED TIMES OF INITIAL WAVE ARRIVAL FOR SELECTED
SITES IN THE ADVISORY ARE PROVIDED BELOW.
LA JOLLA-CA 1202 PST FEB 27 YAKUTAT-AK 1619 AKST FEB 27
SANTA BARBARA-CA 1231 PST FEB 27 KODIAK-AK 1628 AKST FEB 27
SAN FRANCISCO-CA 1326 PST FEB 27 SAND PT.-AK 1629 AKST FEB 27
CRESCENT CITY-CA 1346 PST FEB 27 JUNEAU-AK 1635 AKST FEB 27
CHARLESTON-OR 1402 PST FEB 27 DUTCH HARBOR-AK 1638 AKST FEB 27
SEASIDE-OR 1446 PST FEB 27 SEWARD-AK 1639 AKST FEB 27
WESTPORT-WA 1457 PST FEB 27 ADAK-AK 1642 AKST FEB 27
NEAH BAY-WA 1507 PST FEB 27 VALDEZ-AK 1657 AKST FEB 27
TOFINO-BC 1515 PST FEB 27 CORDOVA-AK 1706 AKST FEB 27
LANGARA-BC 1551 PST FEB 27 COLD BAY-AK 1709 AKST FEB 27
SITKA-AK 1529 AKST FEB 27 SHEMYA-AK 1721 AKST FEB 27
KETCHIKAN-AK 1549 AKST FEB 27 HOMER-AK 1739 AKST FEB 27
FOR ARRIVAL TIMES AT ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS SEE
WCATWC.ARH.NOAA.GOV
$$
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
918 AM PST SAT FEB 27 2010
WAZ001-503-506>508-510-514>517-272015-
SAN JUAN COUNTY-WESTERN WHATCOM COUNTY-WESTERN SKAGIT COUNTY-
EVERETT AND VICINITY-SEATTLE/BREMERTON AREA-ADMIRALTY INLET AREA-
EASTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-WESTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-
NORTH COAST-CENTRAL COAST-
918 AM PST SAT FEB 27 2010
...A TSUNAMI ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN AND
CENTRAL WASHINGTON COAST...
A TSUNAMI ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL
WASHINGTON COAST.
THERE IS NO TSUNAMI WATCH OR WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE WASHINGTON
COAST. REPEAT...THERE IS NO TSUNAMI WATCH OR WARNING IN EFFECT.
A POWERFUL 8.8 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE OCCURRED AT 1034 PM PDT FRIDAY
NEAR THE CENTRAL COAST OF CHILE. IT HAS GENERATED A TSUNAMI
WAVE...WHICH IS NOW SPREADING OUT ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN.
THE FIRST TSUNAMI WAVES ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE WASHINGTON COAST
BETWEEN 250 PM AND 310 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON. THE FOLLOWING ARE THE
ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIMES OF THE FIRST WAVES.
SEASIDE OR........246 PM PST
WESTPORT WA.......257 PM PST
NEAH BAY WA.......307 PM PST
THE LARGEST TSUNAMI WAVES ARE EXPECTED TWO HOURS AFTER THE FIRST
ARRIVAL.
THE WAVES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE LARGE ENOUGH TO CAUSE COASTAL
FLOODING ALONG THE WASHINGTON COAST. HOWEVER...SOME COASTAL AREAS
COULD EXPERIENCE DANGEROUS CURRENTS AND SURGES IN HARBORS AND
BAYS. FORECAST TSUNAMI WAVE AMPLITUDES FOLLOW.
LONG BEACH WA.....0.46 FT
WESTPORT..........0.78 FT
MOCLIPS...........1.27 FT
NEAH BAY..........0.65 FT
PORT ANGELES......0.33 FT
BELLINGHAM........0.46 FT
EVERETT...........0.13 FT
SEATTLE-PIER 48...0.13 FT
THE MINIMUM WAVE HEIGHT FOR A TSUNAMI ADVISORY ON THE WASHINGTON
COAST IS 6 INCHES OR 15 CENTIMETERS.
THE INITIAL WAVE WILL NOT BE THE LARGEST. COASTAL RESIDENTS ARE
ADVISED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER...OFF THE BEACH...AND AWAY FROM
HARBORS AND MARINAS. WAVE HEIGHTS AND CURRENTS ARE AMPLIFIED BY
IRREGULAR SHORELINE AND ARE DIFFICULT TO PREDICT. THE TSUNAMI MAY
NOT BE VISIBLE AMONG THE COMMON OCEAN SURF...YET TIDE GAGES WILL
LIKELY REPORT SOME FLUCTUATIONS.
MARINERS IN WATER DEEPER THAN 600 FEET SHOULD NOT BE AFFECTED BY
A TSUNAMI.
REPEAT...NO TSUNAMI WATCH OR WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN
AND CENTRAL WASHINGTON COAST.
$$
HANER
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE
###
Media Contact:
Andy Day, Assistant Chief
City of Bellingham & Whatcom Unified Emergency Management
360.778.8480
oem@cob.org
