South Bend, Washington – The Pacific County Emergency Management Council has met and is advising residents that no cancellation has been received from the West Coast Alaska Tsunami Warning Center.
A tsunami is a series of waves and the first wave may not be the largest. Tsunami wave heights cannot be predicted and can vary significantly along a coast due to local effects. The time from one tsunami wave to the next can be five minutes to an hour, and the threat can continue for many hours as multiple waves arrive.
The PCEMA Council is advising residents of Pacific County that the major threat of tsunami from the 8.9 Magnitude earthquake in Japan earlier this morning has likely passed. More than two hours have passed since the anticipated arrival of tsunami waves. The West Coast Alaska Tsunami Warning Center has maintained a tsunami advisory for the Washington Coast. Please note there could be lingering effects from the earthquake in Japan and/or additional after-shocks capable of generating tsunamis. Residents are cautioned to stay off the ocean beaches until further notice.
The public is cautioned to remain alert and to pay attention to the news media and any future warnings and alerts. This notice will be updated as conditions change. Questions regarding this announcement and questions regarding this incident should be forwarded to the Pacific County Emergency Operations Center at 360-875-9341 or 360-642-9341.