Hawaii is receiving tsunami warnings as fallout from the huge earthquake in Chile.
See – Chile’s massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake threatens Hawaii with tsumami warnings, live news streaming for more details
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning — its highest alert — for Hawaii, where incoming waves could cause damage along the coastlines across the island chain. A warning was also in effect for Guam, American Samoa and dozens of other Pacific islands.
The first waves were expected to arrive in Hawaii at 11:19 a.m. Saturday (4:19 p.m. EST).
Travelling Mamas gives tips on what to do:
A list of frequently asked questions for tsunami awareness and safety can be found at the NOAA website.
Run! Climb! Swim!
Be safe, Hawaii!!
The massive 8.0 earthquake that rocked the Pacific yesterday sent tsunami waves crashing down on American Samoa.
This video, posted earlier today on YouTube, shows the incredible damage in Leone, American Samoa. Houses were washed away. Cars were left stranded in trees. Bloomberg is now reporting that at least 141 were killed. “You can imagine the sheer force,” the narrator says.
In this second video from the Wall Street Journal, Simon Louisson from Dow Jones Newswires in New Zealand, describes the damage and reports that New Zealanders prepared for the possibility of a tsunami strike.
Yuo can see more videos and a slideshow from American Samoa here.
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
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.
In China, more than 10,000 homes have been destroyed as a result of an earthquake that struck in southwest China.
The quake left more than 300 people injured when it hit Yunnan province in southwest China Thursday evening. The quake was a 6.0-magnitude according to Xinhua. The U.S. Geological Survey gave a figure of 5.7. (more…)
There was an earthquake in the Honduras – 7.1 Magnitude.
A sure fire indication of what can happen when Mother Nature gets angry. That is, if you want to personify nature.

People were running around the city in their pajamas, reminding me of a Taiwanese friend who told me she would never sleep naked for fear an earthquake would wake her and she would have to run out in the street in the buff. The image alone of her running around was…well…never mind.
Three deaths have been reported. A man died of an apparent heart attack, a 15-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl.
The U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colorado indicates that the epicenter was 80 miles northeast of La Ceiba, Honduras, and 200 miles from Tegucigalpa, the capital city.
A tsunami watch was put into effect for Honduras, Belize and Guatemala but then lifted.
National Emergency Minister made a radio plea, “I urge you not to panic, but to remain calm. Your government is monitoring the situation and will be keeping you informed.”
The USGS reported a magnitude 4.8 aftershock off Honduras about three hours after the first quake.
Even if there are new pandas on the block born after the earthquake, not all is happy in panda land. It appears that three giant pandas are suffering from post-quake trauma. In a simple incident where a zookeeper tried to hand a bowl of milk to one panda, the metal bowl dropped and crashed making a loud noise and scaring the panda and two buddies away. It’s been a week, and the pandas are still, uncharacteristically, afraid of the zookeeper and his bowl.

Mei Qian and Qian Qian still need time to heal from the trauma inflicted by the 8.0-magnitude quake it is thought. The bears’ home was damaged during the quake. The three lived with 150 other pandas in the Wolong nature reserve. Six pandas went missing during the quake and one was found dead. Perhaps had the pandas not been confined to the preserve, they would have sensed the quake and went for safety. Did anyone consider that?
The three depressed and frightened pandas, all female, were found in a tree. They have been moved twice, once to escape the ongoing aftershocks. The pandas took their clumsy zookeeper with them to southern China’s Kunming. In Kunming, the playful bears still are frightened by thunder. Caretakers pat them and call them tender names to calm them down.
Okay, I’m afraid, too. Can some cute caretaker come take care of me, please?

To be sure, it is not always we foolish humans that drive animals out of their natural habitats, Mother Nature can do it, too. A May 12th earthquake in the mountains of Sichuan Province devastated some of the natural habitats of the wolves in that same region. Only about 10 wolves have been sighted since and the government has dispatched observation teams.
I mean, if they don’t find enough wolves, who’s going to star in the Chinese remake of Little Red Riding Hood?
“The wild animals live in the remote and deep mountainous area, and are scared after the earthquake, so they go out of the deep mountains,” according to Yang Feiyu, head of one animal protection station.
If we take the big picture in the whole balance of nature scenario, this could be considered a good thing overall. Don’t you think?
Image by uae_1