The National Tsunami Warning Center has issued a Tsunami Advisory for the California coast on Tuesday evening, including coastal areas spanning from Mendocino to Monterey counties.
Previously, the center had issued a Tsunami Watch, which was issued around 5:54 p.m. An advisory means that a tsunami capable of producing strong currents or dangerous waves is expected or already occurring.
The center issued the advisory after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russian’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Tuesday afternoon.
Waves may already be getting increasingly large or high right now, the weather service said.
“Areas in the advisory should not expect widespread inundation. Tsunamis are a series of waves dangerous many hours after initial arrival time,” the weather service said, “The first wave may not be the largest.”
The advisory includes the San Francisco Bay Area, including Sonoma, Napa, Larkspur, Vallejo, San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, Santa Cruz, Monterey and other ocean and bayside communities.
The center will upgrade the Tsunami Advisory to a Tsunami Warning if a tsunami is imminent.
A tsunami can result in widespread, sudden flooding of beaches, harbors and coastal areas.
If a Tsunami Warning is issued, people should stay out of the water and away from beaches and waterways, the National Weather Service said. People should move off beaches and out of harbors and go as high or as far inland as possible.
Tsunami alerts warnings can be monitored online.
Monterey issues more evacuation warnings
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation warning to all persons living aboard vessels in the Moss Landing area on Tuesday night and the city of Monterey has issued evacuation warnings for all persons living aboard vessels in the Monterey Harbor slips and mooring areas, including Breakwater Cove, Coast Guard Pier, and adjacent areas.
A tsunami is expected to reach the Monterey County coastline at 12:15 a.m. on Wednesday.
The Sheriff’s Office said individuals should seek other lodging arrangements for the duration of the tsunami advisory for California Coastal counties.
The evacuation warnings are for people in zones MRY-B040, MRY-B050, MNT-A032-B, and MNT-A026-B.
Residents and visitors are advised to remain out of the water and away from beaches and harbors until local officials declare it safe to return.
According to the Monterey Police Department, hotels along the coast and wharves were notified to make sure their guests remain off beaches and away from the coastline. Given the distance away from the initial earthquake that triggered the tsunami, experts expect stronger than normal wave action that can also cause rip tides.
The National Tsunami Warning Center issued a Tsunami Advisory for the California Coast on Tuesday evening, including coastal areas spanning from Mendocino to Monterey counties, after an 8.8 magnitude quake struck off the coast of Russian’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
So far, the only tsunami warning issued for the California Coast is from Cape Mendocino to the Oregon border, with waves as high as 5 feet expected.
Berkeley urges boat owners to secure vessels
The city of Berkeley is advising residents with boats to secure them Tuesday night due to the tsunami advisory affecting the California coast.
The tsunami surge is expected to arrive in San Francisco Bay at 12:40 a.m. Wednesday morning, the city said. The surge is expected to be less than 1 foot tall, but could create strong waves and currents at the Berkeley Marina.
According to the city, California has monitored this specific tsunami and has assigned Berkeley a “Phase 1,” meaning that the state does not recommend evacuation of boats and docks for this event.
For people who live on their boat, the DoubleTree Hotel is offering rooms to berthers at a discounted rate of $75, the city said.
Note: The National Weather Service has revised the earthquake’s magnitude from 8.7 to 8.8. This story has been updated to reflect that change.