Following a magnitude 8.9 earthquake that struck of northeast Japan, the pacific coast of the North American continent was under a Tsunami alert from Alaska to southern California, including Santa Monica on Friday morning. Locally, NOAA’s National Weather Service West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center issued a Tsunami Advisory for the coastal areas of Los Angeles County.
Local officials closed the Santa Monica Pier and several beach parking lots, and encouraged residents in low-lying areas close to the beach to be cautious. However, no evacuations were called into effect.
The local effects of the Tsunami were not visible to the crowds of onlookers gathered in Palisades Park, on the bluffs overlooking the beach, to see what came to shore. Small surges of impacted the Southern California coast, but the primary effects were in currents. Few swimmers braved the waters until much later in the afternoon. No significant damage was reported in Santa Monica.
