Via Pacific Daily News, a report posted at 11:54 a.m. February 6, local time: Tsunami watch issued for Guam and CNMI; possible higher waves late this afternoon. Excerpt:
A tsunami alert has been issued for several Pacific islands after a strong earthquake struck near the Solomon Islands, according to the Associated Press and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
The quake struck about 11:29 a.m. Guam time, according to the warning center, which estimates that any tsunami waves generated as a result could affect Guam about 4:22 this afternoon. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands could be impacted at about 4:26 p.m.
All Guam residents are advised to avoid all beaches and low-lying areas, the Guam Homeland Security and the Office of Civil Defense announced at 12:42 p.m.
The 8.0-magnitude quake struck about 50 miles west of Lata, in the Solomon Islands, at a depth of about 3.6 miles. The earthquake has generated a tsunami, and Guam's eastern and southern shores may be vulnerable, said Kanoa Koyanagi, a geophysicist with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu.
The Solomon Islands are about 2,000 miles from Guam.
Guam and the CNMI at this time are under a tsunami watch, which alerts emergency management officials and the public about an event that may effect the area.
