A Tsunami Advisory issued for Alaska and West Coast of the US after a Volcano Eruption

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A tsunami advisory is in effect for parts of Alaska and the West Coast of the United States amid a volcano eruption in the Pacific. The National Tsunami Warning Center of the National Weather Service issued a warning and said, “A Tsunami is occurring. Move away from the shore and head to high ground”.  The warning said that the first wave may not be the largest. A tsunami advisory indicates that a dangerous wave is on the way. The warning was issued for the West Coast and Alaska in the morning. But it had been reduced to only parts of the coastline by later Saturday evening. The warning was issued for the California coast from the Orange/San Diego Line, California, to the Oregon-California border, including San Francisco Bay.

A spokesperson for the US State Department said that American citizens in Tonga and Fiji have been alerted to a tsunami warning. The US embassy also said Tonga’s Meteorological Services have issued advisories for heavy rain, flash flooding, and strong winds in lands and coastal waters. The Fijian authorities have warned residents to stay away from coastal areas. The State Department spokesperson said they are not aware of any US citizens affected as of this time. The National Weather Service Anchorage canceled the tsunami advisory for all coastal areas of the Gulf on Saturday afternoon. The service said the advisory was still in effect for the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutians until further notice. An advisory was also issued for Hawaii after an undersea volcano erupted Saturday near the nation of Tonga in the Pacific.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center tweeted and said, “Small Sea level changes, strong or unusual currents may persist for several additional hours in some coastal areas and appropriate coastal areas and appropriate caution should be exercised by boaters and swimmers”. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said tsunami heights there were expected to be 1-2 feet, based on what was seen in Hawaii. Flooding was later reported near Santa Cruz Harbor and some residents were evacuated. The Bay Area officials said over 100 people evacuated the Berkeley Marina, where an evacuation order was in effect for the marina boats, docks, and shoreline. San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management said strong currents were expected for hours, though residential flooding was not expected.