Chile Earthquake 2015: Tsunami alert for Hawaii and California after 8.3 magnitude quake in Chile

The 8.3 magnitude earthquake hit Chile's central zone in Santiago
REUTERS/Pablo Sanhueza
Laura Proto17 September 2015

A tsunami advisory has been issued for Hawaii and parts of California after an 8.3 magnitude earthquake struck northern Chile.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a watch for Hawaii saying Wednesday’s earthquake may cause a tsunami, but the alert was later downgraded to an advisory.

The advisory states that while there is no major tsunami predicted for the state, sea level changes and dangerous currents could pose a threat to those in or near the water.

A similar advisory was issued for southern and central California and is expected the current would change at about 4.45am PDT before moving north.

Chevy Chevalier, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Honolulu, said that a tsunami is possible but does not mean it will definitely happen.

The map shows where the strongest tremors were felt EPA/USGS
EPA/USGS

He said: “A watch is for everybody to be aware of it, that it's a possibility.

“A warning means it's happening right now or it's imminent.”

The major earthquake shook Chile’s capital and the tremor was so powerful, it was felt in places across South America.

President Michelle Bachelet said three people had been killed in the earthquake and urged those evacuated from coastal areas to stay on high ground until the authorities could fully evaluate the situation.

Multiple aftershocks, including one which measured magnitude seven and four above six, shook the region after the initial earthquake.

People in Chile were forced to flea their homes after the powerful quake
EPA/RAUL ZAMORA

It was the strongest tremor since a powerful earthquake and tsunami killed hundreds in 2010 and levelled part of the city of Concepcion.

The tremor was reportedly felt in Buenos Aires in Argentina and in Peru and Brazil, but no injuries were reported outside Chile.

Claudio Moreno said he was in a bar in Santiago when the earthquake hit and was worried by how long the tremor lasted.

He said: "We went out in the street when we felt it was going on too long.

“It was more than a minute.”

Chilean authorities said some houses had collapsed in the city of Illapel, which was 34 miles east of the quake’s epicentre.

An 8.8 magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami in south-central Chile in 2010 killed more than 500 people, destroyed 220,000 homes, and washed away docks and seaside resorts.

The strongest earthquake ever recorded – a magnitude 9.5 tremor - happened in Chile in 1960, killing more than 5,000 people.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in