A tsunami advisory is in effect for Washington’s outer coast, the Columbia River estuary coast and the Juan de Fuca Strait coast, along with much of the West Coast of the U.S., following an 8.7 magnitude earthquake near Russia.
The advisory was upgraded around 6:30 p.m. from a tsunami watch. An advisory means a tsunami with potential for strong currents or waves is expected or occurring, according to the National Weather Service’s National Tsunami Warning Center.
Anyone in coastal areas should move off of beaches and out of harbors and marinas, and stay out of the water.
A tsunami warning has been issued for Hawaii and part of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.
The tsunami’s first waves are forecast to hit Washington state around 11:30 p.m., at La Push, Neah Bay, Moclips and Westport, before arriving in Port Angeles at 12:20 a.m. Wednesday, Port Townsend at 12:45 a.m., Bellingham at 1:10 a.m. and Tacoma at 2 a.m.
The forecast maximum tsunami heights, the highest expected water levels above the tide, are 1.4 feet or less.
Tsunamis are a series of waves that can be dangerous many hours after initial arrival time, according to the weather service.
“The first wave may not be the largest,” the weather service said.
The Seattle Office of Emergency Management said it’s working with Washington’s Emergency Management Division to monitor potential impacts to Seattle.
