Southlanders Urged To Stay Off Beaches Amid Tsunami

LOS ANGELES, CA — Authorities warned Southland residents to stay off the beaches as a tsunami triggered by an underwater volcano eruption in the South Pacific hit the California coast Saturday.

All Southland beaches and piers were temporarily closed, but no evacuation orders were in place. Larger than normal waves were expected throughout the day Saturday. Waves one-t0-two-feet larger rolled in around 8 a.m. People were advised to move off the beach and out of the harbors and marinas, avoid the coastline and not to go to the coast to watch the tsunami.

SEE ALSO: Tsunami Advisory Issued For California Coast After Volcano Erupts

Some Low-lying beach areas faced slight risk of flooding, but authorities did not expect inundation. The larger concern was for swimmers, surfers and boaters. Waves capable of producing strong currents hazardous to swimmers, boats, and coastal structures began to arrive starting at 7:50 a.m. The National Weather Service said at 7:05 a.m. that there were "no significant concerns about inundation."

"Seeing some surges on the Port San Luis tsunami gauge. Reporting up to a 24 cm residual so far. That's 9.4 inches or about 19 inches from the bottom and top of the residual," the National Weather Service's Los Angeles office tweeted at 8:08 a.m.

The warning was in effect for Alaska, Hawaii and the entire West Coast.

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano, near Tonga, erupted late Friday. A tsunami hit Tonga's largest island, Tongatapu, according to CNN, which reported that waves were flooding the capital.

The Santa Monica Fire Department said the tsunami was not expected to cause major damage to beaches or to the Santa Monica Pier.

Seismologist Lucy Jones, founder of the Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society, said the expected short-term increase of 1-3 feet in sea level would only be an issue near the beach.

"Tsunamis are not one wave. It's more like sloshing and that sloshing can continue for a day. Just because the first wave has passed, it is not time to go see the beach," Jones tweeted, adding that "much tsunami damage happens in ports because of the currents. Moving water has huge momentum."

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.