No tsunami threat to B.C. after magnitude 7.7 quake strikes western Pacific
After further evaluation, it was determined there is no tsunami danger for the U.S. West Coast, British Columbia, or Alaska after large quake in the western Pacific.
A large earthquake of magnitude 7.7 struck southeast of Loyalty Islands on Thursday, February 11, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
According to the USGS, the quake's epicentre was 424 km east of Tadine, New Caledonia, and was at a depth of 10 km. It struck just after midnight, local time.
The U.S. Tsunami Warning System initially issued a tsunami watch for American Samoa, with the potential for tsunamis to occur in other regions including Vanuatu, Fiji, New Zealand. The watch was later cancelled for the area as the risk decreased.
New Zealand authorities still urged residents along its northern coast to avoid beaches and shore areas.
"We expect New Zealand coastal areas to experience strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore," the New Zealand National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.
A tsunami statement was also issued for British Columbia, Alaska, Washington and California, as earthquakes of this size are "known to generate tsunamis potentially dangerous to coasts outside the source region."
After further evaluation, it was determined there is no tsunami danger for the U.S. West Coast, British Columbia, or Alaska.
The quake, which had been upgraded from an earlier magnitude of 7.1, followed at least three other earthquakes in the region with magnitudes ranging from 5.7 to 6.1 in a span of just over an hour.