Coastal Tsunami Advisory

Dec 19 2017, 12:51 pm

Please note there have been many on-going updates on this article (previously titled “Tsunami Warning Effective for Coastal BC”). We are providing official sources for best information.

***For best, most reliable up-to-date information please visit the following sources: West Coast Alaska Warning Center

***On Saturday, the Tsunami advisory had been lifted after only a small rise in sea levels. Some ocean communities were evacuated and the B.C. coast was spared from damage. Other communities, including Northern California, experienced some damage from the waves.

For further advisories and warnings, we recommend you visit the link above. Tsunamis and warnings are very dynamic and since we’ve broken the news it’s best to leave it to official sources to best help you understand the warning. The West Coast Alaska Warning Center also provides alerts and warnings for Canada.

Some history: Around 1:30am we broke news that coastal BC was under a Tsunami Warning. This was estimated to affect the west coast of Vancouver Island as well as north towards Alaska. The NOAA and West Coast Alaska Warning Center announced that this was to affect “costal areas of…British Columbia”.

The Alaska Warning Center has provided some clarification on the advisory issued around 1:30am. An advisory specifically means “that a tsunami capable of producing strong currents or waves dangerous to persons in or very near the water is expected. Significant, widespread inundation is not expected for areas under an advisory. Currents may be hazardous to swimmers, boats, and coastal structures and may continue for several hours after the initial wave arrival.”

Hysteria? Unfortunately, we think the part about Vancouver omitted from the warning was overlooked. But the message was important for areas like Tofino where, although it’s winter, there are still water-facing places used for camping and the rare morning surfer.

Thoughts for Japan. The Vancity Buzz team would like to extend its condolences to those affected by the Japan earthquake and tsunami. Only time will tell us the full extent of the damage.

Anyone trying to reach family and friends in Japan is advised to use the Finding Family Links program at their local Red Cross.

Updates on this page are now stopped. Creative Commons photo via Flickr: Coco et Jo

DH Vancouver StaffDH Vancouver Staff

+ News
ADVERTISEMENT