Officials are keeping a watch on Hawaii’s shoreline and asking boaters there to secure their vessels after a large earthquake shook the Pacific and sent a tsunami into Pago Pago in American Samoa earlier today.

Slow motion tsunami

Slow motion tsunami

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a  tsunami watch for the Hawaiian Islands. You can read the details of the regional warnings, watches, and advisories here.

As a result, the city of  Honolulu has activated its Emergency Operations Center.


The epicentre of the quake was located 120 miles (190 km) southwest of American Samoa, a remote Pacific island, and measured 8.0 magnitude, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The earthquake caused waves in Pago Pago that were 5.1 feet (1.57 metres) above normal sea level.

An official of the US National Park Service said that there have been deaths in American Samoa, but the number of casualties remains unclear. Reuters is also reporting that the National Park of American Samoa visitors center and its offices are completely destroyed.

Image courtesy of Orin Zebest

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