PTWC: Tsunami Watch Issued for Hawai’i

***Updated at 4 p.m.***

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued a Tsunami Advisory. Click here for the latest information on the advisory.

***Updated at 2:20 p.m. to include information from Hawai’i County Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliveira.***

Hawai’i County Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliveira told Big Island Now that standard procedures for potential coastal events are already underway.

The Hawai’i County Fire Department is doing helicoper flyovers along coastal and remote areas to inform residents about the Tsunami Watch. Civil Defense is also working with Civil Air Patrol for its assistance in informing residents through the use of its two aircrafts.

A 6.4 magnitude aftershock was recorded 15 miles west of Illepel, Chile at 1:18 p.m. Hawai’i time.

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center officials continue to monitor and evaluate data to determine if a tsunami has been generated.

***Updated at 1:50 p.m. to include new information from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and United States Geological Survey..***

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center is maintaining a Tsunami Watch for Hawai’i.

According to PTWC, the magnitude of the earthquake has been revised to an 8.3. It happened at 12:54 p.m. off the coast of Central Chile. Both the time and location were revised from the PTWC’s preliminary update.

PTWC is monitoring the event and evaluating data to determine if a destructive tsunami was generated. If a tsunami has been generated, PTWC estimates the earliest arrival time of the first tsunami wave to arrive at 3:06 a.m. Thursday.

United States Geological Survey officials say the earthquake was located 28 miles west of Illapel, Chile; 42 miles west-northwest of Salamanca, Chile; 64 miles north-northwest of La Ligua, Chile; 71 miles south-southwest of Ovalle, Chile; and 141 miles north-northwest of Santiago, Chile.

***Original story posted at 1:23 p.m.***

A Tsunami Watch has been issued for the state of Hawai’i following a 7.9 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Chile.

The earthquake occurred at 12:55 p.m. Hawai’i time, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. Preliminary data shows that a tsunami may have been generated by the earthquake.

Stay with BigIslandNow.com as we continue this breaking story.