Thursday, September 17, 2015

All Harbors and beaches between San Onofre and north of San Luis Obispo were closed by 4 am for tsunami

The tsunami advisory extends from San Onofre State Beach in San Clemente to Ragged Point, about 50 miles north of San Luis Obispo, according to the National Tsunami Warning Center. In anticipation of dangerous currents, the Orange County Sheriff's Department announced that all beaches, harbors and marinas would close there as of 4:00 a.m.

Magnitude-8.3 Earthquake in Chile Prompts Tsunami Advisory for California Coastline

Posted 4:09 AM, September 17, 2015, by Tracy Bloom and Jennifer Gould, Updated at 09:56am, September 17, 2015

A tsunami advisory was in effect along the Central and Southern California coastline Thursday morning, one day after a deadly magnitude-8.3 earthquake hit Chile, according to NOAA's National Tsunami Warning Center.

The advisory extended from Orange County's San Onofre State Beach, located in San Clemente, to Ragged Point, which is roughly 50 miles northwest of San Luis Obispo.
Forecasters predicted that the fast-moving tsunami would begin to impact the coastline starting at 4:46 a.m. in Newport Beach, arriving in the Los Angeles Harbor just one minute later, according to the National Tsunami Warning Center.
It would arrive in Santa Barbara by 5:06 a.m., and in Port San Luis at about 5:10 a.m.
During the morning hours, several coastal points have seen fluctuations in tide, including Santa Monica, Ventura and Port San Luis, according to the National Weather Service.
There were no immediate reports of flooding, damages or injuries.
While no significant coastal flooding was expected, the center warned that potential impacts for areas under the tsunami advisory may include strong current or waves that could be dangerous to those in or very near the water. Additionally, currents could be hazardous to swimmers, boaters and coastal structures hours after the tsunami arrived.
The impacts from the tsunami were expected to be felt early in the morning, but the National Weather Service has warned that it could take several hours for waves to peak.
Shortly before 6:45 a.m., the weather service tweeted that the tsunami advisory would remain in effect "until further notice."

A map shows the progress of a tsunami from the epicenter of the quake in Chile to the coast of California. (Credit: NOAA)

The advisory prompted the closure of all beaches, harbors and marinas in Orange County, according to the O.C. Sheriff's Department. The closures would start at 4 a.m.
All beaches in the county would be reopened at 6 a.m., according to sheriff's Lt. Jeff Hallock.
No evacuations have been ordered, but the Sheriff's Department was warning everyone to "stay out of the water."
The dangerous conditions also prompted the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to issue a similar advisory.
Sheriff's officials stated that sea levels were expected to rise less than a foot. They were advising the public to avoid jetties, beaches and harbors while the advisory was in effect.
“Well, when you think about it, when you look at it vertically, 1 foot of water isn’t that big of a deal. But when you look at the amount of volume of water that is being pushed around 1-feet high, there’s a lot of kinetic energy behind it," sheriff's Sgt. Robert Boese explained.
He added, “We are telling people to stay away, because that can potentially knock boats off, boats that are not properly tied. It could loosen them, knock them into other boats, cause boats to sink, knock people into the water, potentially trap people in the water as they fall off the docks and things of that nature.”
Check back for updates on this developing story.

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