8.3 Quake Hits Chile; Tsunami Warnings [Updated]

Some of the links below are providing continuous updates:





Massive dangerous earthquake near Illapel (Coquimbo coast), Chile - 1 woman killed - Pacific Ocean tsunami waves expected


Update 01:42 UTC : People living in most areas of the Pacific should consult their local authorities to find out what to do when. The tsunami is widespread along the Pacific ocean. Below the latest PWTC tsunami bulletin.

Update 01:38 UTC : Continuous aftershocks are being felt in the epicenter area and beyond, the strongest ones at the moment  M5.4

Update 01:19 UTC : What a mess, a lot of cleaning is waiting tomorrow

Update 01:15 UTC : Update Coquimbo tide gage : appears that largest tsunami wave (4+ m) arrived more than one hour after initial wave





Update 00:55 UTC : As could be expected after such a massive earthquake, many aftershocks have been registered since the mainshock, the strongest one being a M6.4

Update 00:48 UTC : The picture below has been taken in the coastal city of Concòn, located in the Valparaiso area. Coastal streets have been inundated by the tsunami waves

Strong quake shakes Chile capital, causing buildings to sway - Yahoo News

A powerful magnitude-8.3 earthquake hit off Chile's northern coast Wednesday night, causing buildings to sway in Santiago and other cities and sending people running into the streets. Authorities reported one death in a town north of the capital.

Four aftershocks above magnitude-6 and other strong shakes rattled the region as tsunami alarms sounded in the port of Valparaiso in the first major tremor since a powerful quake and tsunami killed hundreds in 2010 and leveled part of the city of Concepcion in south-central Chile.

Officials ordered people to evacuate low-lying areas along the 2,400 miles (3,900 kilometers) of Chile's Pacific shore, from Puerto Aysen in the south to Arica in the north. Fishing boats headed out to sea and cars streamed inland carrying people to higher ground. Santiago's main airport was evacuated as a precaution.

Authorities said some adobe houses collapsed in the inland city of Illapel, about 175 miles (280 kilometers) north of Santiago.

Illapel's mayor, Denis Cortes, told a local television station that a woman had been killed in the city but declined to give any details.

Electricity was knocked out, leaving the city in darkness. "We are very scared. Our city panicked," Cortes said.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported the quake at a preliminary magnitude of 7.9 but quickly revised the reading upward to 8.3. Chilean authorities put the magnitude at 8.4.

U.S. officials said the quake struck just offshore in the Pacific at 7:54 p.m. (6:54 p.m. EDT, 1154 GMT) and was centered about 141 miles (228 kilometers) north-northwest of Santiago. It said the quake was 4.8 miles (5 kilometers) below the surface.

Chile earthquake: massive 8.3 magnitude tremor strikes Santiago – live updates | World news | The Guardian

Radio New Zealand reports that a tsunami warning has been issued for the country’s eastern coast.

Civil Defence issued the tsunami warning for the East Cape, Chatham Islands, Coromandel and Banks Peninsula regions a short time ago, warning residents in those areas to stay out of the water and keep away from beaches.

Civil Defence said any tsunami activity may reach the East Cape just after midnight tonight. It has warned that tsunami activity could continue for several hours and the threat should be regarded seriously until the warning was cancelled.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii said waves of up to a metre could hit New Zealand, while waves of between one and three metres could hit French Polynesia.

New Caledonia, Fiji, the Samoas, the Cook Islands, Tonga and other island nations are also being warned of 1m waves.

Smaller waves may hit Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea and Nauru.

My colleague Uki Goni reports that tremors were felt as far as the Argentinian capital, Buenos Aires.

The Chilean earthquake set off car alarms in Buenos Aires 690 miles (1,110km) away on the Atlantic side of the South American continent.

Public buildings, such as the buildings of the University of Buenos Aires, were evacuated. Tall buildings in the upscale neighbourhoods of Belgrano and Palermo swayed so much that their dwellers ran out into the streets.

Reports from other Argentine cities, such as Rosario and Mendoza, also reported swaying buildings and evacuated buildings. No casualties have been reported.

A mass evacuation is underway in the town in anticipation of a possible tsunami.

Chile earthquake: 8.3-magnitude quake strikes off coast - CNN.com

The quake's epicenter was about 54 kilometers (34 miles) west of Illapel, Chile, USGS said. It occurred around 7:54 p.m. (6:54 p.m. ET) and had a depth of 33 kilometers (20.5 miles).

Large tsunami waves have been observed along the Chilean coast, near the quake's epicenter. Near Coquimbo, Chile, waves were measured at 3.11 meters (10.2 feet), according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

Pictures taken inside a shopping mall in La Serena, in the coastal city just north of Coquimbo, showed walls and signs toppled to the floor, ceiling tiles caved in as well as chairs, benches and tables covered in rubble.

NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) | Twitter

Modeled tsunami travel times. The wave from the Chile earthquake will arrive in ~13 hours, or ~5 AM Thursday.

(1) CBC News Alerts (@CBCAlerts) | Twitter





Tsunami watch issued for Hawaii after Chile earthquake - CBS News

A powerful magnitude-8.3 earthquake hit off Chile's northern coast Wednesday night, causing buildings to sway in Santiago and other cities and sending people running into the streets.

At least three aftershocks above magnitude-6 and other strong shakes rattled the region as tsunami alarms sounded in the port of Valparaiso in the first major quake since a powerful quake and tsunami killed hundreds in 2010 and leveled part of a southern Chilean city.

Officials ordered people to evacuate low-lying areas along the 2,400 miles of Chile's Pacific shore, from Puerto Aysen in the south to Arica in the north. Cars streamed inland carrying people to higher ground.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported the quake at a preliminary magnitude of 7.9 but quickly revised the reading upward to 8.3. U.S. officials said the quake struck just offshore in the Pacific at 7:54 p.m. and was centered about 141 miles north-northwest of Santiago. It said the quake was 4.8 miles below the surface.

Chilean authorities issued a tsunami alert for the country's entire coast, and U.S. officials posted an alert for Hawaii. Chile's emergency office warned that big waves caused by the quake could hit the coast by 11 p.m.

"Based on all available data, a tsunami may have been generated by this earthquake that could be destructive on coastal areas even far from the epicenter," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a statement. "An investigation is underway to determine if there is a tsunami threat to Hawaii."

If tsunami waves impact Hawaii, the estimated earliest arrival of the first tsunami wave is 3:11 a.m. HST on Thursday, CBS affiliate KGMB reported. Forecasters said waves of 0.3 to 1 meter above the tide level were possible.