Earthquake in Chile: Real-time updates
Posted: Saturday, February 27, 2010 6:10 PM
Hawaii 'dodges a bullet' | 6:04 p.m. ET
A official at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center tells the Associated Press that Hawaii "dodged a bullet" after a major earthquake sent powerful waves roiling around the Pacific.
It still will be about an hour before officials will be willing to give an all-clear in Hawaii, but there were no immediate reports of major damage around the Pacific rim. just tidal surges that reached up to about seven feet in some island chains.
Gerard Fryer, a geophysist for the tsunami center, defended the decision to urge evacuations of coastal areas, saying "better safe than sorry."
Barry Hirshorn, a geophysicist with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center tells NBC News that they are not seeing the water levels dropping - which is why the tsunami warning is still in effect. There are multiple waves that are still rolling in and the largest waves may not have arrived yet.
View from Hilo: Whales were very active | 6:01 p.m. ET
Don Sullivan of Denver, Colo., was vacationing in Hilo when he was awoken at 6 a.m. local time by tsunami warning sirens and forced to evacuate to high ground. Sirens continued to blare every hour after than, he said.
"The evacuation seemed smooth, but there were huge gas lines," he said.
He drove to a nearby scenic overlook about 100 feet above the beach, where he had a good view of the tsunami waves as they arrived. The sky was full of helicopters, he said, but there was no sense of panic among the evacuees.
Two hours before the first wave hit, at about 2 p.m. ET, Sullivan said "The whales (were) going nuts, very, very active," he said. Then, about an hour before that wave, only a single whale remained in view. [He was] "About 100 yards out, young, looks like he is confused, bobbing up and down, he is in trouble," Sullivan said.
Then, just after 4 p.m. ET, the water receded with eery calm away from the coast.
"The beach line quickly (got) wider," he said. A few minutes later, the water rushed back in. "The bay (looks) bizarre, like a blender," he said. The churned up bay filled with dirty water, he said. There was no sign of the struggling whale after the second wave, he said.
Then, at around 5:45, after three "surges" of water, the whales reappeared, suggesting to Sullivan that nature might be getting back to normal.
"The choppers are leaving and the whales are returning," he said.
But public officials continue to issues warning that the tsunami was still dangerous, so Sullivan, 47, had no idea what to do next.
"We don't really know what to do with ourselves," he said. "I've been up since yesterday morning and we don't know if we will be allowed to go back to our hotel."
-As told to msnbc.com's Bob Sullivan over a series of text messages and short phone calls. Don Sullivan is Bob Sullivan's older brother.
U.S. Embassy checking on Americans on Chile reports the Associated Press | 5:29 p.m. ET
The State Department says the U.S. Embassy in Chile is working to learn the whereabouts of U.S. citizens, both diplomatic employees and others, who were living in or visiting Chile when the magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck early today.
There are no reports of U.S. casualties, and the U.S. military says it has no reports that any of its forces have been affected either on land or at sea.
The State Department advises Americans seeking information on family and friends in Chile to contact the Bureau of Consular Affairs at 1-888-407-4747.
There are 118 embassy employees in Chile. It's unclear how many Americans there are throughout Chile, but an estimated 1,000 live in and near Concepcion, which is only 70 miles from the quake's epicenter.
Fires in Santiago, Concepcion | 5:26 p.m. ET
Santiago mayor orders residents around a factory that’s on fire to leave due to toxic cloud overhead. Some kind of chemical is being released. The number of people evacuated wasn't given.
In Concepcion, firefighters say that they were able to pull out 22 people from a building on fire, but that another 60 could still be inside.
Significant surge in Ventura, Calif. | 5:25 p.m. ET
According to the Ventura, California Harbor Patrol, the Ventura Harbor had a significant tidal surge around 4 p.m. ET, but absolutely no big wave.
The harbor had a significant in-and-surge, ranging from a positive 2.5 feet to a negative 3 feet.
Most if not all of the harbor's navigational buoys were swept away, thus the harbor patrol is busy helping boats get back into the harbor at this time 5:15pm EST. No boats sank.
There was also some sand erosion on local beaches.
There are no injuries, and apparently no other damage except to the buoys, but the situation is still unstable.
Tsunami has reached Hawaii | 5:10 p.m. ET
Scientists say ocean gauges confirm tsunami has reached Hawaii; extent of damage uncertain.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center tells NBC News says 5.6-foot tsunami wave were recorded at Hilo Bay of Hawaii. Live video on the Web and on TV shows water receding from beaches but nothing dramatic as of yet.
Beach towns possibly wiped out in Chile | 4:52 p.m. ET
It’s summer in South America and hundreds of thousands of people were vacationing at the beaches and may have just started to pack up to get back to work or school on March 1.
According to an ADN Radio reporter, many beach towns were wiped out, including Matanzas, which is wind/kite surfing destination that attracts foreigners. The town is along the beach and is reportedly completely submerged.
The ADN Radio reporter says a witness in a beach town near Valparaiso reported that 200 beach homes, most with people inside, were washed away. The scene included cars floating around. Undetermined number of dead. Navy official confirms a large wave in that area but didn’t have specifics.
Update at 5:07 p.m. ET: The death toll in Chile has been updated to 214, according to Interior Minister Edmundo Perez.
Updates | 4:41 p.m. ET
KHNL-TV is reporting a strong water surge in the area of Wailoa, Hawaii
From Hilo: Water fluctuations starting. Discolouration and strange tides happening.
Also from KHNL: Rock outcropping now being exposed in Hilo Bay - water levels seem to have dropped a lot.
Update 4:56 p.m.: Pago Plaza in American Samoa inundated by tsunami wave, according to NOAA.
A 5-foot tsunami wave hit Chatham Islands, 430 miles southeast of New Zealand.
From eyewitness Kelly Mitchell in Honolulu: Another surge heading back in.Sandy Beach on Oahu experiencing rising seas.
More aftershocks in Chile | 4:11 p.m. ET
USGS reports the 54th major aftershock, magnitude 5.0, centered off the coast of Bio-Bio, Chile.
Update at 4:34 p.m. ET: A health official just told reporters that apart from three hospitals severely damaged in Santiago, a dozen more south of the capital have also seen significant damage.
Hawaii coastline live streams on the Web | 4:08 p.m. ET
- KITV live stream
- KHNL live stream
- The Honolulu Advertiser has a live stream of Waikiki Beach.
- Mashable has compiled these live streams
Tweets from the USGS | 3:54 p.m. ET
The USGS is maintaining a very informative Twitter feed here.
It quotes USGS geophysicst Eric Geist saying the Chilean quake "Could safely be placed in the Top 10 of earthquakes."
Of taking the tsunami threat, he says, "Tsunamis are not breaking waves. 75 percent of tsunamis do not break. If you see a tsunami on the beach, it's too late to run."
Hawaii tsunami forecasts | 3:36 p.m. ET
Hilo 11:05 a.m. local, 6.9 to 8.2 feet
Honolulu 11:37a.m., 1.6 to 2.3 feet
Kahului 11:26 a.m., 3.6 to 10 feet
The Honolulu Advertiser has a live stream of Waikiki Beach.
Lessons learned from history? | 3:26 p.m. ET
Newsweek's Kate Dailey predicts that even though the quake the struck Chile was 100 times stronger than the quake that devastated Port-au-Prince in January, the death toll is expected to be lower.
Why? She writes:
First and most obvious, the construction in Chile is far better than construction in Port-Au-Prince. A popular saying among seismologists is that “earthquakes don’t kill people, buildings do.” Chile’s buildings are better-built, with better materials, higher-skilled laborers and an eye towards earthquake resistance. They are therefore more earthquake resistant. Many fewer of them collapsed, so fewer people died. The second reason is that, unlike Port-Au-Prince, Chile is accustomed to earthquakes. It has what those who work in disaster-preparedness call “earthquake consciousness.”
Msnbc.com's Cosmic log writer Alan Boyle says that five years after the catastrophic Indian Ocean quake and tsunami, the tsunami alerts issued in the wake of Saturday's earthquake in Chile demonstrate how much more information is now available about potential seismic threats.
Text message donations | 3:17 p.m. ET
Verizon Wireless says its customers can immediately contribute to two international relief organizations that are now accepting text contributions for their Chile relief efforts. Donations will appear on regular monthly Verizon Wireless bills.
Text CHILE to 23583 to donate $10 to Habitat for Humanity
Text CHILE to 20222 to donate $10 to World Vision
AT&T also released this statement: "We're monitoring the situation to determine how we can help. As was the case in Haiti, the need to work with local authorities is critical."
Update at 4:00 p.m. ET: How to help information is available at helpchile.msnbc.com
Elevations in Hawaii | 3:14 p.m. ET
Msnbc.com just published this map which shows the elevation of Hawaiian islands.
500,000 homes damaged | 3:08 p.m. ET
According to Chile's housing minister speaking live on state television, there are reports of up to 500,000 homes that were damaged severely. That means there are about 500,000 families that have been displaced by the earthquake, so far. Most are seeking shelter with family & friends.
Hawaii hotels move guests to higher floors | 2:54 p.m. ET
Tayaba Jafri tweets from the Westin Moana Surfrider in Honolulu and shares this photo, saying choppers were blaring "Everyone get out of the water!"
Two of the three wings of her hotel were evacuated, excluding the wing where her room was located.
According to tweets, members of the cast and crew of "Lost" were also moved to the top floor of Hawaii's highest hotel. The popular ABC show films in Oahu.
Bill Brennan, the communications director for the mayor of Honolulu, told MSNBC's David Shuster that tourists staying in hotel rooms on the third floor or lower were being moved to higher floors. Airports are also continuing to operate for folks who want to leave the island. Brennan says that there are safe places for residents and visitors and they are doing everything to make sure everyone stays out of harm's way.
Waves in Hawaii from NBC producer Randy Brant in Honolulu | 2:35 p.m. ET
Hawaii Civil Defense now reports the following waves:
Hilo 8 feet
Maui 7 feet
Oahu 1 1/2 feet
400,000 victims? | 2:22 p.m. ET
Chile's national emergency agency is now reporting as many as 400,000 victims in the Bio-Bío Region (south of Santiago) alone.
On MSNBC, a journalist interviewed in Chile via Skype cautioned that the number could refer to those injured or those who have lost property and may not mean a death toll.
The Associated Press published this list of earthquakes that registered a magnitude of at least 8.6:
-- May 22, 1960: A magnitude 9.5 earthquake in southern Chile and ensuing tsunami killed at least 1,716 people.
-- March 27, 1964: A magnitude 9.2 quake in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and ensuing tsunami killed 128 people.
-- Dec. 26, 2004: A magnitude 9.1 quake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra triggered a tsunami that killed 226,000 people in 12 countries, including 165,700 in Indonesia and 35,400 in Sri Lanka.
-- Aug. 13, 1868: A magnitude 9.0 quake in Arica, Peru (now Chile) generated catastrophic tsunamis; more than 25,000 people were killed in South America.
-- Jan. 26, 1700: A magnitude 9.0 quake shakes Northern California, Oregon, Washington and British Colombia and triggers tsunami that damages villages in Japan.
-- Nov. 4, 1952: A magnitude 9.0 quake in Kamchatka causes damage but no reported deaths, despite setting off 30-foot (9.1-meter) waves in Hawaii.
-- Jan. 31, 1906: A magnitude 8.8 quake off the coast of Ecuador and Colombia generated a tsunami that killed at least 500 people.
-- Feb. 27, 2010: A magnitude 8.8 quake off the coast of Chile killed a still-undetermined number of people and sends a tsunami across the Pacific.
-- Nov. 1, 1755: A magnitude 8.7 quake and ensuing tsunami in Lisbon, Portugal killed an estimated 60,000 people and destroyed much of Lisbon.
-- July 8, 1730: A magnitude 8.7 quake in Valparasio, Chile, killed at least 3,000 people.
-- Aug. 15, 1950: A magnitude 8.6 earthquake in Assam, Tibet, killed at least 780 people.
Hawaii prepares | 2: 18 p.m. ET
The tsunami is expected to hit Hawaii sometime after 11 a.m. local time (4 p.m. ET)
Click here to see photographs of residents stocking up on emergency supplies and fuel in preparation.
The tsunami at Marquesas Island smaller than forecast (on 5.9 feet), according to the National Weather Service, and the impact on Hawaii impact could be less than initial expectations.
Facebook's Disaster Relief effort | 2:09 p.m. ET
According to Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes:
We've updated Facebook.com/DisasterRelief, which has 250K fans, with the latest resources on Chile and Hawaii. We're driving traffic to the page through Facebook.com/Facebook, which has more than 7.4 million fans, and through Twitter.com/Facebook, which has 194,000 followers.
President Obama warns of potential tsunami | 1:56 p.m. ET
President Obama came out for a brief statement, saying America is ready and has resources ready to deploy should Chile ask for help. He also encouraged U.S. citizens to heed warnings by local officials ahead of potential tsunami in Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, and the California coast.
Watch his statement here.
Entire Pacific basin at risk | 1:55 p.m. ET
At 1:45 p.m. ET, the U.S. Geological Survey had recorded 49 major aftershocks, each of magnitude 5.0 or greater, after the monster earthquake in Chile. Nearly all of them were centered near the site of the original quake, in the areas of Bio-Bio and Libertadores O'Higgins.
The quake triggered a Pacific-wide “tsunami event” that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration SAID was similar to the Christmas 2004 tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in the Banda Aceh reagion of Indonesia.
Jenifer Rhoads, NOAA's tsunami program manager, told NBC News that the entire Pacific basin was at risk and that residents anywhere in tsunami areas of the region — which covers about a quarter of the globe — should seek higher ground.
Aftershocks continue | 1:43 p.m. ET
The 48th major aftershock, magnitude 5.6, centered off Bio-Bio shore of Chile was just reported by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Chile's National Emergency Office has revised the death toll to 147.
Warning for American Samoa, Guam | 1:37 p.m.
NOAA is telling NBC News that anybody in Guam or American Samoa needs to get to higher ground because they are in the warning area. NOAA wants to reiterate that the warning area is serious, and that a tsunami is a series of waves that occur over multiple hours. Periods between each wave varies.
Tsunami travel times | 1:29 p.m. ET
This NOAA graphic explains how they can forecast the tsunami in Hawaii so far in advance.
Click here to enlarge and here to see a quicktime movie of the animation.
Twitcaps also has this visualization of twitter photos relating to the quake.
Local media is reporting that a wall in the El Cerezo prison in Chillan allowed 209 criminals to escape. About 60 more inmates tried to flee but were recaptured. Approximately 600 other inmates are being transferred to a unit in Concepcion.
Today's Chile quake and its relationship to 1960 event by Robert Bazell | 1:09 p.m. ET
Today's earthquake is 150 miles south of the largest earthquake ever recorded -- a 9.5 on May 22, 1960. Scientists say the two events are related. The 1960 quake killed 1655 people and caused a devastating tsunami in Hilo, Hawaii.
Both quakes occurred at the intersection of the Nzca plate (an Aztec word for a part of the larger Pacific plate) and the South American plate
FEMA Statement on Tsunami from Craig Fugate, FEMA administrator | 1:04 p.m. ET
"FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security are closely monitoring the situation, and officials are in close contact with the State of Hawaii and the U.S. territories in the Pacific Ocean that could be impacted by a potential tsunami. FEMA stands ready to assist should a request for assistance be made, and does have pre-deployed assets in Hawaii, including food, water, generators and other resources. We urge all individuals to follow the direction provided by local officials."
Concerns for Concepcion from the Associated Press | 12:56 p.m. ET
In Concepcion, Chile's second-largest city and only 70 miles (115 kilometers) from the epicenter, nurses and residents pushed the injured through the streets on stretchers. Others walked around in a daze wrapped in blankets, some carrying infants in their arms.
A 15-story building collapsed, leaving only a few floors intact.
"I was on the 8th floor and all of a sudden I was down here," said Fernando Abarzua, marveling that he escaped with no major injuries. He said a relative was still trapped in the rubble six hours after the quake, "but he keeps shouting, saying he's OK."
NOAA buoys detect tsunami in Peru filed by Robert Bazell, NBC Science Correspondent | 12:44 p.m.
After the Indonesian Tsunami, NOAA installed more buoys at sea to detect tsunamis. A buoy off Lima, Peru has detected a 9-inch tsunami.
Scientists say that small size is NOT necessarily reassuring because the depth of the ocean and the structure of the ocean floor can greatly influence the size of a tsunami
Information from the U.S. military, filed by Jim Miklasewski | 12:21 p.m. ET
U.S. military officials say Chile has still not formally sought any US military assistance in response to the earthquake, "and frankly we don't expect them to ask."
As for the tsunami, U.S. Navy officials say they're expecting only a two 2-foot surge to hit the islands within hours.
As a result they have evacuated two military housing complexes on the Island of Oahu "as a precaution." The Navy is NOT removing any ships from ports and sending them out to sea.
Update as of 1:11 p.m. ET: The U.S. Navy will redeploy 4 ships out of port in Hawaii to open waters as a precaution against the approaching tsunami.
The two military housing complexes on the Island of Oahu were evacuated.
Olympic athletes in Chile head home | 11:52 p.m. ET
Chile's athletes and coaches are planning to skip the Olympic closing ceremonies following a magnitude-8.8 earthquake that has devastated their country.
Team spokesman Luis Alberto Santa Cruz said Saturday morning that the athletes and coaches are trying to get home from Vancouver as soon as possible because of the quake.
Chile has three Alpine skiers representing the country at the Vancouver Games. Noelle Barahona, Maui Gayme and Jorge Mandru are all finished competing, so they won't miss any remaining events.
Santa Cruz says that some of the coaches and athletes have been able to reach family and so far, they have found out that their loved ones are fine. Some are still trying to make contact.
Evacuation in Hawaii | 11:54 p.m. ET
Senators Daniel K. Inouye and Daniel K. Akaka are urging Hawaii residents to remain calm, listen to the news and follow evacuation orders after a 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Chile generated a tsunami expected to affect all coastlines in the Hawaii islands.
"We have not had voluntary tsunami evacuations in Hawaii since 1994 so this is a serious event. If you live in an evacuation zone I urge you to gather your family and please leave the area," said Senator Inouye. "It is important to remain calm, listen to the news, and follow the instructions being issued by state and county civil defense officials."
"This is not something to take lightly," said Senator Akaka. "I encourage all to stay calm, follow the directions of our State Civil Defense, and stay away from all shorelines."
The first waves are expected to hit the Big Island at 11:19 a.m. and the estimated arrival time for Honolulu is 11:25 a.m., according to the warning center. Some areas of Hawaii could see an initial 10 to 15 foot rise and waves could continue for at least six hours according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning cCnter.
Evacuation maps and information is available on the Tsunami Warning Center's Web site, but individuals on Twitter are alerting each other about not crowding the servers by needlessly hitting the site.
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