The National Weather Service today issued a tsunami watch for the immediate coast of Southern and Central California because of the magnitude 8.9 earthquake that struck Japan.
Tsunami-related waves may occur in Santa Monica at 8:39 a.m. and in Newport Beach at 8:45 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.
Currents may be hazardous to swimmers, boats, and coastal structures and may continue for several hours after the initial wave arrival. Coastal residents in the watch area should prepare for possible evacuation, officials
said.
The tsunami could cause some unusually high tides, Cindi Preller of the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center told Fox11.
Officials may clear beaches as a precaution and the situation on the California coast might be similar to the aftermath of last year's Chile earthquake that caused some small waves but no major damage.
