LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Southern California coast is not expected to face any tsunami danger from a series of powerful earthquakes that struck today off the coast of New Zealand.
The initial quakes registered magnitudes of 7.3 and 7.4, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Around midday, and more powerful temblor measuring 8.1 occurred.
Tsunami warnings were initially issued for New Zealand for the original quakes, but later withdrawn. But another warning for that area was issued following the 8.1-magnitude shaker. A tsunami watch was also issued for Hawaii.
The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center said the original quakes did not generate any tsunami threat for the coasts of California, Oregon, British Columbia, Washington or Alaska. Following the 8.1 quake, the center announced it was evaluating the tsunami threat, but no warnings for the U.S. coast were immediately issued.
The center indicated that hourly updates would be posted.
Retired USGS Seismologist and Southland earthquake guru Lucy Jones wrote on her Twitter page that a tsunami was unlikely to be an issue in California, saying, “We really are too far away.''
She noted that the 2011 Japan earthquake that prompted a local tsunami warning was a 9.0-magnitude shaker “that moved over 30 times more water than this event.''
Photo: USGS
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