Following an undersea volcanic eruption near Tonga, the National Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for West Coast and Alaska.
According to Lucy Jones, a seismologist who has been monitoring the events in the Pacific, the volcano has been erupting for the past month, but this was its most explosive eruption, ABC News reports.
“This is the largest tsunami from a volcano that I am aware of,” Jones said.
A tsunami advisory means that a tsunami could cause strong currents or waves near the coast. Still, it does not mean that there will be a significant tsunami event where water will actively enter coastal communities. In this case, the tsunami is only a threat to those in the water or near the beach, most likely swimmers or boaters.
At 3:30 p.m., The U. S. Tsunami Warning system had issued nearly fifty “potential threats” on their website in places such as China, Korea, Guatemala, and Russia. The organization also issued two advisories for Attu, Alaska, and North Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
The Guardian reported Tsunami waves slammed into Tongatapu, Tonga’s main island, after the underwater volcano erupted, forcing people to flee their homes and flooding streets and buildings.
A tsunami warning was in effect for Hawaii, Alaska, the US Pacific coast, and Japan, with reports of waves crashing into docks in Hawaii.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the tsunami hit Japan’s Pacific coast as well, with waves as high as three meters (eleven feet).
According to the agency, the remote southern island of Amami Oshima was hit by a three-foot wave, while other areas along Japan’s Pacific coast saw smaller surges.
Waves slamming ashore in Hawaii ranged from a foot and a half in Nawiliwili, Kauai, to nearly three feet in Hanalei, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
“We are relieved that no damage has been reported and that only minor flooding has occurred across the islands,” the center said.
Large waves washed ashore in coastal areas of Tonga, which has a population of about 105,000 people, according to videos posted on social media. The Guardian said the waves swirled around homes and buildings, including a church.
According to the USGS, one of the world’s most powerful earthquakes triggered one of the most significant tsunamis in 40 years in the early hours of December 26, 2004.
That took place in the Indian Ocean Tsunami known as the Christmas or Boxing Day tsunami, which killed over 200,000 people.