Tsunami advisory issued, waves reach Oregon coast after volcanic eruption near Tonga

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The National Tsunami Warning Center has issued a tsunami advisory this morning, Saturday, January 15, for the coast of Oregon, Washington and California, due to a large undersea volcanic eruption near Tonga, the Oregon Office of Emergency Management reported.

Residents in coastal areas are advised to move off beaches and out of harbors and marinas. Waves of 1 to 3 feet along the coast of Oregon and Washington are expected. The first waves arrived at the Oregon Coast around 8 a.m. and could continue for up to 24 hours.

“Stay away from port harbors and low-lying beaches, because those strong currents can still cause a lot of damage, and you could be potentially risking your life,” Oregon OEM Geologic Hazards Coordinator Althea Rizzo said.

Rizzo said it is important to know if your home, work, school, etc., are in a tsunami inundation zone.

For information on tsunami and tsunami hazards visit: https://www.oregon.gov/oem/hazardsprep/Pages/Tsunami.aspx

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