Tsunami Advisory Extends to Oregon, Washington

A tsunami advisory has been extended to include the states of Oregon and Washington and parts of Alaska, as well as coastal British Colombia. An earlier advisory covered the California coast. An advisory is the lowest level alert, meaning there is a possibility of strong localized currents but no significant inundation is expected. The move follows today's devastating earthquake in Chile, which triggered potentially deadly waves for the Pacific Rim.

Hawaii woke residents with sirens, alerting them to the waves. A tsunami warning—the highest alert level—was issued earlier for the island chain. Boats and people near the coast were being evacuated. Hilo International Airport, located along the coast, was closed. In Tonga, police and defense forces have begun a mass evacuation from low-lying coastal areas. (More tsunami stories.)