Tsunami watch upgraded to advisory for much of B.C. coast after major earthquake near Russia | CBC News

THE LATEST:

• Residents of much of coastal B.C. have been asked to avoid beaches and shorelines after a tsunami advisory was issued on Tuesday.
• An advisory is the second step in a three-tiered warning system, and it means strong currents are likely.
• Officials say that an advisory means significant flooding isn’t expected, but strong currents could be dangerous for those near the water.
• The advisory covers B.C.’s central and north coasts, Haida Gwaii and the west and northeast coasts of Vancouver Island.
• It also spans Juan de Fuca Strait and Greater Victoria, including the Saanich Peninsula.
• The District of Tofino on Vancouver Island says that tsunami activity may reach the community around 11:30 p.m. PT, with a wave height of around one foot (0.3 metres).

A tsunami advisory has been issued for multiple parts of the B.C. coast after a large earthquake in the Pacific basin near Kamchatka, Russia, on Tuesday afternoon, and residents have been asked to avoid shorelines and beaches.

Emergency Info B.C. says there was a magnitude 8.7 earthquake around 135 kilometres southeast of the Russian city of Petropavlovsk around 4:25 p.m. PT on Tuesday.

A tsunami advisory, upgraded from an earlier tsunami watch, has been issued for B.C.’s north and central coasts, including Kitimat and Bella Coola, Haida Gwaii and the west and northeast coasts of Vancouver Island.

It also spans the Juan de Fuca Strait from Jordan River to Greater Victoria, including the Saanich Peninsula.

Local governments in those areas have been asked to activate their emergency plans by the U.S.-based National Tsunami Warning Center.

An advisory is issued in the event strong currents are likely in coastal regions, according to officials.

“Significant inundation is not expected for areas under an advisory, but coastal zones may be at risk due to strong currents,” reads an Emergency Info B.C. advisory.

The advisory adds that strong waves and currents could drown or injure people who are in the water, and currents at beaches, harbours, marinas or bays could be especially dangerous.

A tsunami advisory, it says, means that residents should move away from the ocean and stay alert for more instructions from officials.

It had earlier advised boat operators in areas under a tsunami watch to move their boats out to sea to a depth of at least 180 feet (55 metres) if time and conditions permit, and avoid shallow water and inlets if they are already at sea.

John Cassidy, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, said that a tsunami watch was the lowest level of a three-tiered warning system used by emergency officials, with a tsunami advisory being the second-highest level and indicating that strong currents and waves are likely. 

“Warning, which is the highest level, means move away from the water immediately. So that’s what’s taking place right now in Kamchatka,” he said.

WATCH | Tsunami advisory issued for much of B.C. coast: 

Massive earthquake in the Pacific Ocean prompts a tsunami watch for parts of B.C.

CBC’s Darius Mahdavi reports on a massive earthquake in the Pacific Ocean which has led to a tsunami watch in parts of B.C.

He added that Tuesday’s earthquake was the type of seismic movement that was most likely to generate a tsunami, and there was already confirmation of a tsunami being generated in the local region of Kamchatka.

“Those waves can travel across the Pacific … they can travel a long way when they’re out in the open ocean,” he told Jason D’Souza, host of CBC’s All Points West, just before 6 p.m. PT on Tuesday.

“The tsunami waves travel at about the same speed as a jet,” he added.

The District of Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island said in an emergency notification around 7 p.m. PT that people shouldn’t go to the shore to observe the waves.

It says that the National Tsunami Warning Center has indicated tsunami activity would reach Tofino around 11:30 p.m. PT on Tuesday, with a wave height of around one foot (0.3 metres).

Warning issued for Hawaii

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit at a depth of 19.3 kilometres.

A tsunami warning has been issued for the U.S. state of Hawaii, with the National Weather Service’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center saying a tsunami from the quake had been generated that could cause damage along the coastlines of all the Hawaiian islands.

“Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property,” the warning stated. The first waves were expected around 7 p.m. local time.

A tsunami warning is also in place for parts of the Alaska Aleutian Islands.

Japan’s meteorological agency has issued a tsunami alert for Japan’s Pacific coast, upgrading an earlier advisory that warned of a tsunami of up to three metres across the Pacific coast of Japan.