Fearing tsunami, Hawaii evacuating up to 100,000 residents and tourists
A forecast says waves could reach as high as 8 feet in some bays. Waikiki Beach is almost deserted, and the Navy acts to protect ships at Pearl Harbor.
Reporting from Seattle — Hawaiian authorities were rushing to evacuate up to 100,000 residents and tourists from low-lying coastal areas Saturday morning as an estimated 3-to-8-foot tsunami raced toward the islands at the speed of a jet plane.
Radio stations were broadcasting civil defense alerts, and sirens sounded in the early-morning hours, well ahead of the expected arrival of the waves, estimated at about 11 a.m. Hawaii time, triggered by a massive earthquake in Chile.
Radio stations were broadcasting civil defense alerts, and sirens sounded in the early-morning hours, well ahead of the expected arrival of the waves, estimated at about 11 a.m. Hawaii time, triggered by a massive earthquake in Chile.
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"We are taking this very seriously. We have activated, and we think this is a real emergency," said Jane Lovell, spokeswoman for the civil defense agency on the island of Maui.
Two hours before the expected arrival of the tsunami, Gov. Linda Lingle signed an emergency disaster proclamation, and said she was preparing to take a National Guard helicopter to survey any damage.
"My overall impression is that the state is well-prepared," she said.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a Pacific-wide warning. An advisory, the lowest level of notice, is in effect for most of the West Coast of the U.S., including Alaska. Hawaii was expected to be among the hardest hit.
Half an hour before the tsunami was forecast to hit, Waikiki Beach was an eerie, nearly deserted scene. Cars lined the roads on higher ground, with onlookers, many of them in an apparently festive mood, gathering in good viewing spots
The U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet sent four warships and three other support and research vessels steaming out to sea as a precaution against damage near shore at Pearl Harbor.
A fifth warship, the Port Royal, was in port for maintenance and unable to sail, so it was being towed into deeper waters, said fleet spokesman Capt. Jeff Breslau.
"Even though we don't anticipate high surge waves here, we don't know for sure, so we're just going to take precautionary measures," Breslau said.
"Now it's just a matter of watching and waiting," Breslau said.
President Obama made a statement Saturday afternoon at the White House announcing that the U.S. was preparing for a tsunami to possibly reach U.S. soil in the Pacific, especially Hawaii, Guam and American Samoa. He also warned residents of the West Coast to be watchful and prepared for "dangerous waves and currents."
Two hours before the expected arrival of the tsunami, Gov. Linda Lingle signed an emergency disaster proclamation, and said she was preparing to take a National Guard helicopter to survey any damage.
"My overall impression is that the state is well-prepared," she said.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a Pacific-wide warning. An advisory, the lowest level of notice, is in effect for most of the West Coast of the U.S., including Alaska. Hawaii was expected to be among the hardest hit.
Half an hour before the tsunami was forecast to hit, Waikiki Beach was an eerie, nearly deserted scene. Cars lined the roads on higher ground, with onlookers, many of them in an apparently festive mood, gathering in good viewing spots
The U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet sent four warships and three other support and research vessels steaming out to sea as a precaution against damage near shore at Pearl Harbor.
A fifth warship, the Port Royal, was in port for maintenance and unable to sail, so it was being towed into deeper waters, said fleet spokesman Capt. Jeff Breslau.
"Even though we don't anticipate high surge waves here, we don't know for sure, so we're just going to take precautionary measures," Breslau said.
"Now it's just a matter of watching and waiting," Breslau said.
President Obama made a statement Saturday afternoon at the White House announcing that the U.S. was preparing for a tsunami to possibly reach U.S. soil in the Pacific, especially Hawaii, Guam and American Samoa. He also warned residents of the West Coast to be watchful and prepared for "dangerous waves and currents."
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