ALERT: POTENTIAL THREAT TSUNAMI LA LIBERTAD AND ESMERALDAS ECUADOR

000
WEPA40 PHEB 162301
TSUPAC

TSUNAMI MESSAGE NUMBER 1
NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI
2300 UTC WED SEP 16 2015

…PTWC TSUNAMI THREAT MESSAGE…

**** NOTICE **** NOTICE **** NOTICE **** NOTICE **** NOTICE *****

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.

**** NOTICE **** NOTICE **** NOTICE **** NOTICE **** NOTICE *****

PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS
———————————

* MAGNITUDE 7.9
* ORIGIN TIME 2255 UTC SEP 16 2015
* COORDINATES 31.5 SOUTH 71.9 WEST
* DEPTH 33 KM / 20 MILES
* LOCATION NEAR THE COAST OF CENTRAL CHILE

EVALUATION
———-

* AN EARTHQUAKE WITH A PRELIMINARY MAGNITUDE OF 7.9 OCCURRED
NEAR THE COAST OF CENTRAL CHILE AT 2255 UTC ON WEDNESDAY
SEPTEMBER 16 2015.

* BASED ON THE PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE PARAMETERS… WIDESPREAD
HAZARDOUS TSUNAMI WAVES ARE POSSIBLE.

TSUNAMI THREAT FORECAST
———————————

* HAZARDOUS TSUNAMI WAVES FROM THIS EARTHQUAKE ARE POSSIBLE
WITHIN THE NEXT THREE HOURS ALONG SOME COASTS OF

CHILE AND PERU

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 AS WELL AS FOR
OTHER PLACES HAVING AN ETA WITHIN THE NEXT SIX HOURS. 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)
————————————————————
VALPARAISO CHILE 33.0S 71.6W 2316 09/16
COQUIMBO CHILE 29.9S 71.4W 2316 09/16
CALDERA CHILE 27.1S 70.8W 2337 09/16
TALCAHUANO CHILE 36.7S 73.1W 0001 09/17
ANTOFAGASTA CHILE 23.3S 70.4W 0002 09/17
IQUIQUE CHILE 20.2S 70.1W 0029 09/17
CORRAL CHILE 39.8S 73.5W 0030 09/17
ARICA CHILE 18.5S 70.3W 0044 09/17
MOLLENDO PERU 17.1S 72.0W 0055 09/17
SAN JUAN PERU 15.3S 75.2W 0112 09/17
GOLFO DE PENAS CHILE 47.1S 74.9W 0145 09/17
LA PUNTA PERU 12.1S 77.2W 0202 09/17
TALARA PERU 4.6S 81.5W 0251 09/17
CHIMBOTE PERU 9.0S 78.8W 0254 09/17
LA LIBERTAD ECUADOR 2.2S 81.2W 0313 09/17
PIMENTAL PERU 6.9S 80.0W 0319 09/17
PUERTO MONTT CHILE 41.5S 73.0W 0325 09/17
ESMERELDAS ECUADOR 1.2N 79.8W 0400 09/17
PUNTA ARENAS CHILE 53.2S 70.9W 0402 09/17
EASTER ISLAND CHILE 27.1S 109.4W 0415 09/17
TUMACO COLOMBIA 1.8N 78.9W 0419 09/17
BAHIA SOLANO COLOMBIA 6.3N 77.4W 0452 09/17

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/EARTHQUAKES -ALL LOWER CASE-.

* FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THIS EVENT MAY BE FOUND AT
PTWC.WEATHER.GOV AND 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
PTWC.WEATHER.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
NTWC.ARH.NOAA.GOV.