Tsunami alert for Mexico, C America, Ecuador Pacific coast after strong quake
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP)— The US government issued a tsunami warning for the Pacific coast from Mexico to South America today after a strong earthquake struck near Oaxaca, Mexico.
The US Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said hazardous waves as high as three meters could strike anywhere within 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) of the quake’s epicentre, from 1616 GMT (11:16 am local time).
The highest waves, of one to three meters, are expected along Mexico’s southern coast near where the 7.4 quake hit hardest, the centre said.
Waves of up to one meter could strike the coast of Ecuador, and smaller waves under a half-meter could be seen in Central American countries as well as Hawaii and Peru.
The centre warned that tsunamis involve multiple waves that can arrive at intervals of up to one hour.
“The initial wave may not be the largest,” it said.
