Tsunami advisory issued for West Coast

By Robert Krier
Union-Tribune Staff Writer
5:14 p.m. September 29, 2009

HOW TO HELP
Donations to help victims of the quake in American Samoa can be made to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. The money is used to provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to disaster victims.

To make a donation, call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767), or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish).

Contributions also may be sent to the San Diego/Imperial Counties chapter through its Web site at www.sdarc.org; or by mail to American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013, or at www.redcross.org.

SAN DIEGO – Coastal areas of California and Oregon, including San Diego County's shoreline, are under a tsunami advisory from Tuesday night through Wednesday morning after a powerful earthquake struck in the Pacific Ocean near Samoa.

Significant, widespread inundation is not expected.

The advisory means that a tsunami capable of producing strong currents or waves dangerous to people in or very near the water is imminent or expected.

Those in the advisory area, which extends from the Oregon-Washington border to the Mexican border, should get out of the water, move away from beaches and leave harbors and marinas, according to the National Weather Service, which issued the advisory.

Initial waves from the tsunami could arrive in La Jolla at 9:16 p.m. Tuesday, said officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska.

If they do make it to Southern California's coastline, they will likely be no more than 26 inches, according to the warning center.

About three dozen people have been reported killed by a much larger tsunami in Samoa after the 8.3-magnitude temblor on Tuesday.

Robert Krier: (619) 293-2241;

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