Tsunami WARNING right now in Japan Hawaii & California!

Japan Warns of Tsunami Following Major Quake in Pacific Ocean

By Steven Bodzin and Hiroshi Suzuki

Jan. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Japan's Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning over the eastern coast of Hokkaido in northern Japan after an earthquake northeast of the island that the U.S. Geological Survey measured at magnitude 7.7.

A tsunami of about 1 meter was expected to reach the eastern coast of Hokkaido around 2 p.m. local time, the agency said.

Some local governments of cities located in eastern part of Hokkaido, including Nemuro-city and Kushiro-city, issued evacuation recommendations, Japan's NHK TV reported.

The U.S. Joint Tsunami Warning Center said there was a tsunami warning in effect for coastal areas of Russia, Japan and the Marcus Islands. The center said the quake had a magnitude of 8.4.

A tsunami advisory is in effect for the California coast and a warning has been issued for the coast of Hawaii and Alaska's Aleutian Islands after an 8.3 magnitude earthquake in the northern Pacific.

Greg Romano of the National Weather Service in Washington D.C. told KCBS, the fact that there is just an advisory means that we just need to monitor the situation and be aware that there is a potential for a tsunami."

"Basically a warning means that all coastal residents in a warning area near the beach or lower lying areas need to move away from all harbors and inlets. A watch means that all coastal residents should prepare for a possible evacuation," Romano added.

A tsunami has observed at the following sites: Hanasaki, Japan. 0.1 meter / 0.3 feet observations are the amplitude above sea level.

The fears persisted for several hours, sending some Aleutian Islanders rushing for cover, before a tsunami warning that had been issued after the earthquake was canceled a little before 11 p.m.

The warning affected much of the state's Aleutian Islands and was disseminated within minutes after the magnitude-8.2 earthquake struck east of the Kuril Islands in Russia. The quake hit at 7:23 p.m. Alaska time.

A wave measured around 1 foot rolled onto the shores of Shemya, near the western tip of the Aleutians, about 9:30 p.m., according to the Alaska Tsunami Warning Center. Japan's coastline also saw small waves coming ashore, almost all of them less than a foot.

"Indications are that a tsunami was generated but small in nature," said weather service spokesman Greg Romano.