Pacific nations gear for tsunami after Chile quake. Nations around the Pacific Ocean are on full alert for a possible tsunami following the devastating earthquake that hit Chile on Saturday morning.
Tsunami warnings have been sounded in an area affecting about a quarter of the globe. Waves will spread from the epicentre of the 8.8 quake in central Chile and may strike land bordering the Pacific in the next 24 hours. People in the Galapagos and on Easter Island have already taken refuge. Large waves are already reported to have struck Chile’s Juan Fernandez island group, reaching halfway into one inhabited area. Three people there are missing, local media say. Two aid ships are reported to be on their way. Nations affected by the Pacific “Rim of Fire” have all sounded alerts, trying to estimate the anticipated time of arrival of any tsunami. Tsunami warning systems have been improved since December 2004 when an earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia, sparked a tsunami that killed nearly 250,000 people.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has said there may be “widespread damage” from high waves. It has been difficult to estimate the possible wave heights of any tsunami – the waves may not arrive at all or could be as high as 10 meters above normal sea level.

Sirens were sounded in Hawaii to alert residents to the tsunami threat several hours before waves were expected. The first waves in Hawaii are expected about 1100 local time on Saturday (2100 GMT) and measure about 8ft (2.5m).
California has also warned its coastal cities to prepare for possible tsunami waves, the first strike possibly around San Diego. For updates on the Tsunami situation visit www.baja-weather.com here…

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