HONOLULU – A tsunami watch for the Hawaiian Islands has been cancled late Saturday night after a strong 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit off the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia.
The quake struck at around 8:49 p.m. local time in that region, prompting officials to issue a tsunami watch for Hawaii just after 9:00 p.m. The alert caused a brief stir among residents and tourists across the islands.
However, good news came quick — the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) announced at 9:42 p.m. that there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii based on current data.
“Based on all availible info, we don’t see any tsunami threat to the islands,” PTWC said in there update.
The earthquake, while strong, occured far enough away and under conditions that did not produce a tsunami capable of reaching Hawaii. Emergency officials still remind people to stay alert and informed whenever seismic activity occurs in the Pacific region.
No damages or injuries were reported in Hawaii or the Kamchatka area at this time.
Stay tuned to local news and weather alerts for any further updates.