Tsunami Advisory Issued For WA Coast After Tonga Eruption

WASHINGTON — Washington's coastal areas were included in a tsunami advisory issued early Saturday after a massive underwater volcanic eruption in the South Pacific, near the islands of Tonga. An undersea volcano erupted just before 8:30 p.m. Friday, and satellite images shared by the National Weather Service showed it was easily visible from space.

The National Tsunami Warning Center issued a broad advisory early Saturday for coastlines stretching from Alaska down to the Mexican border. In Washington, the advisory applies to the entire outer coast and coastal areas along the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the San Juan Islands.

The earliest waves resulting from the eruption were projected to arrive just after 8:30 a.m. in Long Beach and just before 10 a.m. in Port Townsend. Wave heights could range between 1 and 3 feet for several hours, forecasters said.

The National Weather Service's Seattle office said people living in or visiting the areas under the advisory should stay off beaches and away from harbors and marinas. While forecasters are not expecting severe impacts locally, they warn hazards can persist for hours after the first waves arrive.

"Tsunami advisories mean that a tsunami capable of producing strong currents or waves dangerous to persons in or very near the water is expected or already occurring," Saturday's advisory read. "Areas in the advisory should not expect widespread inundation. Tsunamis are a series of waves dangerous many hours after initial arrival time. The first wave may not be the largest."

Although Saturday's advisory did not apply directly to Puget Sound, the National Weather Service said forecasters could not rule out strong waves and currents impacting any shoreline, including those situated along Puget Sound and the Salish Sea. Officials in King and Snohomish counties sent out wireless emergency alerts out of an abundance of caution.

"Tsunami warning sirens in Edmonds and Everett are unlikely to be activated today," Snohomish County's emergency management department wrote. "Still, our advice: Be safe. Avoid Puget Sound beaches [and] waterfront areas."

The state's Emergency Management Division echoed the need for ongoing caution around all coastlines and shorelines in a social media post shared shortly after 10 a.m.

The full text of the advisory, including estimated arrival times up and down the West Coast, is available on the National Weather Service website.