Hawaii braced early Friday for waves of up to 10 feet emanating from the giant earthquake that struck Japan.
Communities along much of the U.S. West Coast were under tsunami warnings, too.
The first impact in Hawaii may be felt around 3:07 a.m. local time (8:07 a.m. ET), according to Hawaii State Civil Defense, which issued a tsunami warning.
The National Weather Service said the waves could hit Oregon and California between 7:15 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. local time (10:15-10:30 a.m. ET).
Honolulu is planning for several contingencies, because it is not certain how large the waves could be and where they may rush inland, Mayor Peter Carlisle told CNN.
“It is a very difficult situation to confront,” Carlisle said.
Hawaiian Public Radio news director Bill Dorman told CNN some roads were closed as a precaution. CNN meteorologist Rob Marciano said he expected the waves to first strike the island of Kauai.
Hawaiian emergency officials reminded residents that tsunami evacuation maps can be found in front of their telephone directories. People were being advised not to make unnecessary phone calls and stay away from shore lines.
The threat of a tsunami prompted the U.S. National Weather Service to issue a warning for at least 50 countries or territories around the Pacific after the 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan Friday.
Warnings also were in effect for coastal areas of California and Oregon from Point Concepcion, California, to the Oregon-Washington border, according to the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
A warning also was in effect also for Alaska, from Amchitka Pass to Attu, and in Canada’s British Columbia.
President Barack Obama said he instructed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be prepared to help Hawaii and other U.S. regions “that could be affected” by the disaster.
He also said the United States “stands ready to help the Japanese people” slammed by a destructive tsunami.
“Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to the people of Japan, particularly those who have lost loved ones in the earthquake and tsunamis,” said Obama, informed of the development by his chief of staff, William Daley, at 4 a.m. ET.
CNN iReporter Ken Papagno, who lives on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, recorded sirens that sounded throughout the island.
Hawaii had a tsunami scare in February 2010 after an 8.9-magniture earthquake hit Chile. A warning cancellation occurred nearly two hours after the first waves came ashore. Coast Guard crews said they had found no significant damage to ports or waterways as a result of the tsunami, ending a significant evacuation to higher ground.(cnn)
