Tsunami Watch Issued For Hawai´i

The National Weather Service has issued a tsunami watch for the state of Hawai´i as of 9:38 am Thursday.

An magnitude-8.0 earthquake occurred at 9:28 HST in the region of the Kermadec Islands, an area in the South Pacific roughly 600 miles NE of New Zealand.

Based on all available data, a tsunami may have been generated from this earthquake, which could be destructive to coastal areas even as far away as Hawai´i.

An investigation is now underway to determine in there is a tsunami threat to the state. If a tsunami were to reach the Hawaiian Islands, the estimated time of earliest arrival of the first wave is 4:35 pm HST on Thursday, March 4.

This message will be updated as more information becomes available.