No Tsunami Threat to Hawai‘i From 7.7-M New Guinea Quake

UPDATE 4: 6:01 AM, Tuesday, May 14, 2019

TSUNAMI INFORMATION, NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI
601 AM HST WED MAR 06 2019

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

ORIGIN TIME – 0546 AM HST 06 MAR 2019
COORDINATES – 32.2 SOUTH 177.8 WEST
LOCATION – SOUTH OF THE KERMADEC ISLANDS
MAGNITUDE – 6.6 MOMENT

EVALUATION

BASED ON ALL AVAILABLE DATA A DESTRUCTIVE PACIFIC-WIDE TSUNAMI IS NOT EXPECTED AND THERE IS NO TSUNAMI THREAT TO HAWAII. REPEAT.

THIS WILL BE THE ONLY STATEMENT ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS ADDITIONAL DATA ARE RECEIVED.

UPDATE 3: 4:36 AM, Tuesday, May 14

THE TSUNAMI FORECAST IS UNCHANGED IN THIS MESSAGE. NO TSUNAMI WAVES WERE OBSERVED AT THE CLOSEST SEA LEVEL GAGUES, ;HOWEVER, THERE ARE NO SEA LEVEL GAUGES NEAR THE EPICENTER.

PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS

* MAGNITUDE 7.7
* ORIGIN TIME 1258 UTC MAY 14 2019
* COORDINATES 4.2 SOUTH 152.5 EAST
* DEPTH 10 KM / 6 MILES
* LOCATION NEW BRITAIN REGION PAPUA NEW GUINEA

EVALUATION

* AN EARTHQUAKE WITH A PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE OF 7.7 OCCURRED IN THE NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA AT 1258 UTC ON TUESDAY MAY 14 2019.

* BASED ON ALL AVAILABLE DATA… THE TSUNAMI THREAT FROM THIS EARTHQUAKE HAS NOW PASSED.

TSUNAMI THREAT FORECAST… UPDATED

* THE TSUNAMI THREAT HAS NOW LARGELY PASSED.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

* GOVERNMENT AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY IMPACTED COASTAL
AREAS SHOULD MONITOR CONDITIONS AT THE COAST TO DETERMINE IF
AND WHEN IT IS SAFE TO RESUME NORMAL ACTIVITIES.

* PERSONS LOCATED NEAR IMPACTED COASTAL AREAS SHOULD STAY ALERT
FOR INFORMATION AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS FROM LOCAL
AUTHORITIES.

* REMAIN OBSERVANT AND EXERCISE NORMAL CAUTION NEAR THE SEA.

POTENTIAL IMPACTS

* MINOR SEA LEVEL FLUCTUATIONS OF UP TO 0.3 METERS ABOVE AND
BELOW THE NORMAL TIDE MAY CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS.

NEXT UPDATE AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

* THIS WILL BE THE FINAL STATEMENT ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS
NEW INFORMATION IS RECEIVED OR THE SITUATION CHANGES.

UPDATE 2 ,4 AM, Tuesday, May 14,

THIS MESSAGE IS ISSUED FOR INFORMATION ONLY IN SUPPORT OF THE UNESCO/IOC PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING AND MITIGATION SYSTEM AND IS MEANT FOR NATIONAL AUTHORITIES IN EACH COUNTRY OF THAT SYSTEM.

NATIONAL AUTHORITIES WILL DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF ALERT FOR EACH COUNTRY AND MAY ISSUE ADDITIONAL OR MORE REFINED INFORMATION.

THE TSUNAMI FORECAST IS UPDATED IN THIS MESSAGE.

PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS

* MAGNITUDE 7.7
* ORIGIN TIME 1258 UTC MAY 14 2019
* COORDINATES 4.2 SOUTH 152.5 EAST
* DEPTH 10 KM / 6 MILES
* LOCATION NEW BRITAIN REGION PAPUA NEW GUINEA

EVALUATION

* AN EARTHQUAKE WITH A PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE OF 7.7 OCCURRED IN THE NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA AT 1258 UTC ON TUESDAY MAY 14 2019.

* BASED ON ALL AVAILABLE DATA… HAZARDOUS TSUNAMI WAVES ARE FORECAST FOR SOME COASTS.

TSUNAMI THREAT FORECAST…UPDATED

* TSUNAMI WAVES REACHING 0.3 TO 1 METERS ABOVE THE TIDE LEVEL ARE POSSIBLE FOR SOME COASTS OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA.

* TSUNAMI WAVES ARE FORECAST TO BE LESS THAN 0.3 METERS ABOVE THE TIDE LEVEL FOR THE COASTS OF GUAM, INDONESIA, JAPAN, MARSHALL ISLANDS, NEW CALEDONIA, PALAU, PHILIPPINES, POHNPEI, SOLOMON ISLANDS, TAIWAN AND VANUATU.

* ACTUAL AMPLITUDES AT THE COAST MAY VARY FROM FORECAST AMPLITUDES DUE TO UNCERTAINTIES IN THE FORECAST AND LOCAL FEATURES. IN PARTICULAR MAXIMUM TSUNAMI AMPLITUDES ON ATOLLS AND AT LOCATIONS WITH FRINGING OR BARRIER REEFS WILL LIKELY BE MUCH SMALLER THAN THE FORECAST INDICATES.

* FOR OTHER AREAS COVERED BY THIS PRODUCT A FORECAST HAS NOT YET BEEN COMPUTED. THE FORECAST WILL BE EXPANDED IF NECESSARY IN SUBSEQUENT PRODUCTS.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

* GOVERNMENT AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR THREATENED COASTAL AREAS SHOULD TAKE ACTION TO INFORM AND INSTRUCT ANY COASTAL POPULATIONS AT RISK IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR OWN EVALUATION, PROCEDURES AND THE LEVEL OF THREAT.

* PERSONS LOCATED IN THREATENED COASTAL AREAS SHOULD STAY ALERT FOR INFORMATION AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS FROM NATIONAL AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES.

ESTIMATED TIMES OF ARRIVAL

* ESTIMATED TIMES OF ARRIVAL OF THE INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE FOR PLACES WITHIN THREATENED REGIONS ARE GIVEN BELOW. ACTUAL

ORIGINAL ALERT: 3_09 AM, Tuesday, May 14 NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI, 1307 UTC TUE MAY 14 2019

PTWC TSUNAMI THREAT MESSAGE

THIS MESSAGE IS ISSUED FOR INFORMATION ONLY IN SUPPORT OF THE UNESCO/IOC PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING AND MITIGATION SYSTEM AND IS MEANT FOR NATIONAL AUTHORITIES IN EACH COUNTRY OF THAT SYSTEM.

NATIONAL AUTHORITIES WILL DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF ALERT FOR EACH COUNTRY AND MAY ISSUE ADDITIONAL OR MORE REFINED INFORMATION.

PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS

* MAGNITUDE 7.7
* ORIGIN TIME 1258 UTC MAY 14 2019
* COORDINATES 4.2 SOUTH 152.5 EAST
* DEPTH 10 KM / 6 MILES
* LOCATION NEW BRITAIN REGION PAPUA NEW GUINEA

EVALUATION

* AN EARTHQUAKE WITH A PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE OF 7.7 OCCURRED IN THE NEW BRITAIN REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA AT 1258 UTC ON TUESDAY MAY 14 2019.

* BASED ON THE PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS… HAZARDOUS TSUNAMI WAVES ARE POSSIBLE FOR COASTS LOCATED WITHIN 1000 KM OF THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER.

TSUNAMI THREAT FORECAST

* HAZARDOUS TSUNAMI WAVES FROM THIS EARTHQUAKE ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN 1000 KM OF THE EPICENTER ALONG THE COASTS OF PAPUA NEW GUINEA AND SOLOMON ISLANDS

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS

* GOVERNMENT AGENCIES RESPONSIBLE FOR THREATENED COASTAL AREAS SHOULD TAKE ACTION TO INFORM AND INSTRUCT ANY COASTAL POPULATIONS AT RISK IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR OWN EVALUATION, PROCEDURES AND THE LEVEL OF THREAT.

* PERSONS LOCATED IN THREATENED COASTAL AREAS SHOULD STAY ALERT FOR INFORMATION AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS FROM NATIONAL AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES.

ESTIMATED TIMES OF ARRIVAL

* ESTIMATED TIMES OF ARRIVAL -ETA- OF THE INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE FOR PLACES WITH A POTENTIAL TSUNAMI THREAT. ACTUAL ARRIVAL TIMES MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE LARGEST. A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES AND THE TIME BETWEEN WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR.

LOCATION REGION COORDINATES ETA(UTC)

RABAUL PAPUA NEW GUINEA 4.2S 152.3E 1303 05/14
AMUN PAPUA NEW GUINEA 6.0S 154.7E 1336 05/14
ULAMONA PAPUA NEW GUINEA 5.0S 151.3E 1338 05/14
FALAMAE SOLOMON ISLANDS 7.4S 155.6E 1341 05/14
WOODLARK ISLAND PAPUA NEW GUINEA 9.0S 152.9E 1344 05/14
KIETA PAPUA NEW GUINEA 6.1S 155.6E 1354 05/14
KAVIENG PAPUA NEW GUINEA 2.5S 150.7E 1356 05/14
LAE PAPUA NEW GUINEA 6.8S 147.0E 1407 05/14
PANGGOE SOLOMON ISLANDS 6.9S 157.2E 1408 05/14
MUNDA SOLOMON ISLANDS 8.4S 157.2E 1412 05/14
MANUS ISLAND PAPUA NEW GUINEA 2.0S 147.5E 1422 05/14
MADANG PAPUA NEW GUINEA 5.2S 145.8E 1440 05/14
GHATERE SOLOMON ISLANDS 7.8S 159.2E 1440 05/14
WEWAK PAPUA NEW GUINEA 3.5S 143.6E 1509 05/14
PORT MORESBY PAPUA NEW GUINEA 9.3S 146.9E 1549 05/14

POTENTIAL IMPACTS

* A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES. THE TIME BETWEEN WAVE CRESTS CAN VARY FROM 5 MINUTES TO AN HOUR. THE HAZARD MAY PERSIST FOR MANY HOURS OR LONGER AFTER THE INITIAL WAVE.

* IMPACTS CAN VARY SIGNIFICANTLY FROM ONE SECTION OF COAST TO THE NEXT DUE TO LOCAL BATHYMETRY AND THE SHAPE AND ELEVATION OF THE SHORELINE.

* IMPACTS CAN ALSO VARY DEPENDING UPON THE STATE OF THE TIDE AT THE TIME OF THE MAXIMUM TSUNAMI WAVES.

* PERSONS CAUGHT IN THE WATER OF A TSUNAMI MAY DROWN… BE CRUSHED BY DEBRIS IN THE WATER… OR BE SWEPT OUT TO SEA.

NEXT UPDATE AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

* THE NEXT MESSAGE WILL BE ISSUED IN ONE HOUR OR SOONER IF THE SITUATION WARRANTS.

* AUTHORITATIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EARTHQUAKE FROM THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CAN BE FOUND ON THE INTERNET AT EARTHQUAKE.USGS.GOV.

* FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THIS EVENT MAY BE FOUND AT WWW.TSUNAMI.GOV.

* COASTAL REGIONS OF HAWAII, AMERICAN SAMOA, GUAM AND CNMI SHOULD REFER TO PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER MESSAGES SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE PLACES THAT CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.TSUNAMI.GOV.

* COASTAL REGIONS OF CALIFORNIA, OREGON, WASHINGTON, BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALASKA SHOULD ONLY REFER TO U.S. NATIONAL TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER MESSAGES THAT CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.TSUNAMI.GOV.