US West Coast, Hawaii on tsunami ‘watch’

WASHINGTON—The United States has placed the West Coast and Hawaii on tsunami “watch” following a major earthquake off the coast of Japan, urging residents to stay tuned for more information.

The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center said that any tsunami generated by the earthquake would hit Hawaii at around 2:45 a.m. (1245 GMT) and the West Coast at 7:45 a.m. (1545 GMT).

“With an earthquake of this size, we could definitely see some water on the West Coast,” said Cindy Preller, a watcher at the center.

She added that some sparsely populated western Alaskan islands were under “advisory,” meaning that residents should clear beaches and, if there is time, harbors.

A “watch” represents a lesser state of alert than “warning,” and does not call for any immediate action.