PUBLIC TSUNAMI INFORMATION STATEMENT NUMBER 1 NWS WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER PALMER AK 500 AM PST TUE NOV 24 2009

....A STRONG EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED BUT A TSUNAMI IS NOT EXPECTED ALONG THE CALIFORNIA/ OREGON/ WASHINGTON/ BRITISH COLUMBIA OR ALASKA COASTS...

NO WARNING... NO WATCH AND NO ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS.

BASED ON THE EARTHQUAKE MAGNITUDE AND HISTORIC TSUNAMI RECORDS A DAMAGING TSUNAMI IS NOT EXPECTED ALONG THE CALIFORNIA/ OREGON/ WASHINGTON/ BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALASKA COASTS. AT COASTAL LOCATIONS WHICH HAVE EXPERIENCED STRONG GROUND SHAKING LOCAL TSUNAMIS ARE POSSIBLE DUE TO UNDERWATER LANDSLIDES.

AT 447 AM PACIFIC STANDARD TIME ON NOVEMBER 24 AN EARTHQUAKE WITH PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE 6.8 OCCURRED NEAR THE TONGA ISLANDS.

THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER IN EWA BEACH HAWAII WILL ISSUE MESSAGES FOR HAWAII AND OTHER AREAS OF THE PACIFIC OUTSIDE CALIFORNIA/ OREGON/ WASHINGTON/ BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALASKA.

THIS WILL BE THE ONLY STATEMENT ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT BY THE WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER UNLESS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. SEE THE WEB SITE WCATWC.ARH.NOAA.GOV FOR BASIC TSUNAMI INFORMATION - SAFETY RULES AND TSUNAMI TRAVEL TIMES.