An undersea volcano has erupted near Tonga, sending huge waves crashing across into buildings and triggering tsunami alerts as far away as the US.
People were forced to flee their homes in the Pacific island nation while streets and buildings have flooded, after waves of nearly three feet waves crashed into Tonga’s main island of Tongatapu.
Tsunami alerts were issued in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, American Samoa, the US west coast and Hawaii, following the eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai.
Footage posted on social media in Tonga showed large waves washing ashore in coastal areas, swirling around homes and buildings, but there were no initial reports of casualties.
In Hawaii, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre reported waves slamming ashore, from a foot high in Nawiliwili, Kauai, to two and a half feet in Hanalei.
I was getting Tsunami alerts (text messages) all night to warn me about my Maui condo but I slept right through them. Last text message stated the warning is cancelled about 8AM Pacific Time.
I'm heading to the sailboat to see what the currents are doing. A few years back on a cold and windy day I couldn't believe my GPS was telling me I was moving 11 knots (hull speed is under 7). Later I learned we had a tsunami surge. The currents in the bay are already kind of strange without the added tsunami waves. https://news.sky.com/video/share-12516415?source=patrick.net
The waves may only be 2-3 feet high, but they carry enormous potential energies that just bulldoze everything in their path. Of course, daft surfers think its an 'opportunity'.
Strange thing about this one was it didn't give any sign that it was going to happen. No earthquakes, warnings or other signatories, it just blew tabula rasa. The waves hit California at 8 in the morning, probably before some people even had time to get their coffee and consult media to find out.
Any 'real' tsunami of ten to fifteen feet would destroy the Santa Cruz Harbor, Boardwalk, and Capitola Village with ease, and maybe knock out a good portion of the City of Santa Cruz.
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People were forced to flee their homes in the Pacific island nation while streets and buildings have flooded, after waves of nearly three feet waves crashed into Tonga’s main island of Tongatapu.
Tsunami alerts were issued in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, American Samoa, the US west coast and Hawaii, following the eruption of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai.
Footage posted on social media in Tonga showed large waves washing ashore in coastal areas, swirling around homes and buildings, but there were no initial reports of casualties.
In Hawaii, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre reported waves slamming ashore, from a foot high in Nawiliwili, Kauai, to two and a half feet in Hanalei.
I'm heading to the sailboat to see what the currents are doing. A few years back on a cold and windy day I couldn't believe my GPS was telling me I was moving 11 knots (hull speed is under 7). Later I learned we had a tsunami surge. The currents in the bay are already kind of strange without the added tsunami waves.
https://news.sky.com/video/share-12516415?source=patrick.net
Any 'real' tsunami of ten to fifteen feet would destroy the Santa Cruz Harbor, Boardwalk, and Capitola Village with ease, and maybe knock out a good portion of the City of Santa Cruz.