UPDATED: Tsunami Advisory Canceled for California

Updated as of 9:28 a.m. on Saturday, March 12.

The Tsunami Warning aand Advisory for the California Coast has been cancelled as of 9 a.m. Saturday morning.  

Governor Jerry Brown so far has not lifted the state of emergency status in the following counties: Santa Cruz, San Mateo, Humboldt and Del Norte.

As of 4:43 a.m. Friday, a tsunami warning was in effect for coastal areas of California after a reported 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Japan on Thursday night, authorities said.

On Friday morning, Kirstin Hofmann, director of emergency services for Santa Clara County said, "In Santa Clara County, we are monitoring the event, but we don't anticipate any impact. But it's a situation that could change."

"We anticipate that while we've had the first influx of the tsunami, we'll be watching it during the day," she said. 

Update 4:30 p.m.: Two San Francisco bus lines that use the Great Highway are have resumed normal bus service. The 18-46th Avenue line and 23-Monterey line were rerouted at 8 a.m. this morning. The portion of the Great Highway that was closed for most of Friday has reopened. 

Update 4:15 p.m.: Santa Cruz County officials said residents would be allowed to return home, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Santa Cruz police reported that beaches and roads will be reopened, according to KRON-4.

Update 4 p.m.: Residents who were evacuated from low-lying areas in San Mateo County can now return to their homes, according to county officials. The county's Office of Emergency Services resumed normal operations at 4 p.m. when the warning was downgraded to an advisory status.  

Update 11:57 am: Two boats capsized in Santa Cruz Harbor and a sailboat crashed into a nearby bridge as tsunami waves hit the region this morning, a police spokesman said.

An advisory evacuation order went into effect at about 6 a.m. for beachfront homes near the harbor and remained in effect as of 11 a.m., Santa Cruz police Deputy Chief Steve Clark said.

Surges of water caused several boats to come loose at the harbor and crash into each other, spectators said. Clark said two boats have capsized, and a sailboat crashed into the harbor bridge.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office estimates that the surges have caused about $2 million in damage in the area. Clark said surges are still coming in every 15 to 20 minutes, and "we're concerned about the next high tide," which is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.

No injuries have been reported, he said. Authorities are continuing to monitor the harbor and beach area, Clark said.

Update 10:01 a.m.: Several boats in Santa Cruz Harbor have gotten loose and are crashing around in the waves during this morning's tsunami warning, the general manager of a nearby restaurant said.

About 10 boats were crashing into one another at about 9:20 a.m. in the harbor near Aldo's Harbor Restaurant, said general manager Alfredo Servin.The diner is right on the water at 616 Atlantic Ave, and Alfredo said he could see also see a lot of debris. Harbor officials have advised the public to evacuate the area.

"Do not come to the harbor to secure your vessel," said a warning on the harbor's website. "Harbor crews are working to secure the area."

Alfredo said he could see quite a few people out in the harbor, but it wasn't clear if they were all emergency officials.

He said his restaurant was not open for business.

"We don't want to put people in danger," he said. "We have highway and city police advising us what to do."

Update 9:33 a.m.: Water levels have risen slightly in Half Moon Bay's Pillar Point Harbor this morning, but no damage has been reported there or anywhere else in the Bay Area as the region waits for possible tsunami waves to come ashore.

Surges of water as high as 2 or 3 feet were expected to arrive at the region's coastal areas around 8 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.

Water levels had risen about 8 inches in Pillar Point Harbor, but no significant waves had come in as of 8:15 a.m., assistant harbormaster John Draper said.

Update 9:14 a.m.: San Mateo County officials have issued a statement that no tsunami impact is anticipated for Bayside communities.

Update 9 a.m.: Flights between Japan and San Francisco International Airport were canceled or rerouted this morning.

United Airlines Flight 837 and All Nippon Airways Flight NH7 were en route to Tokyo-Narita International Airport from San Francisco when the earthquake struck and were rerouted to Yokota Air Force Base and Nagoya Airport, respectively, airport spokesman Michael McCarron said in a statement.

All Nippon Airways has also canceled the rest of their scheduled flights to and from Japan for today. United Airlines canceled a flight from Japan this morning but had not yet canceled Flight 837, which is scheduled to leave San Francisco for Tokyo at 9 a.m. Delta Airlines Flight 58 was expected to arrive at SFO at 7:09  a.m. while Flight 59 to SFO was canceled, McCarron said.

Update 7:30 a.m.:  Police were on loudspeakers in the area informing Capitola residents that advisory evacuations were in order due to the tsunami warning.

Update 4:15 a.m.: An alert from the National Weather Service stated "A tsunami was generated and is expected to cause damage to the Northern California coast. Persons at the coast should be alert to instructions from local emergency officials."

Update 3:44 a.m.: BART reported that it was activating its Emergency Operations Center; as of about 4 a.m., no service changes were planned.  

Update 2:30 a.m.: U.S. Coast Guard officials on Yerba Buena Island said they are not planning to take extra precautions and that they don't expect boat traffic or ferry service in or around the Bay to be affected.

Update 1:03 a.m.: The tsunami watch has now been upgraded to a warning: http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/

Wave height forecasts are as follows: 2 feet for Fort Point in San Francisco, 2.3 feet for Pacifica, 2.6 feet for Half Moon Bay and 2.8 feet for Santa Cruz.

Learn more about arrival times for specific areas here.

"Due to rapidly changing conditions associated with tsunami wave activity ... listeners are urged to tune to local emergency-alert system media for the latest information issued by local disaster preparedness authorities," the National Weather Service noted. "They will provide details on the evacuation of low-lying areas—if necessary—and when it is safe to return after the tsunami has passed."

The last tsunami to hit Northern California did so in 2005, according to the National Geophysical Data Center. There were no reported fatalities. 

Tsunami alerts are based on the magnitude of the earthquake that triggers it. For earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.5 or above, a watch is put into effect for areas within three hours tsunami-travel time outside the zone where warnings have been issued, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A watch is either upgraded to a warning or canceled, depending on the severity of the tsunami.

Read more from the National Weather Service about conditions around the Bay Area here.

This story was written by Bay City News, with reporting contributed by Derek Wilson.

• A strong earthquake felt in a low-lying coastal area is a natural warning of possible, immediate danger. Keep calm and quickly move to higher ground away from the coast.
• All large earthquakes do not cause tsunamis, but many do. If the quake is located near or directly under the ocean, the probability of a tsunami increases. When you hear that an earthquake has occurred in the ocean or coastline regions, prepare for a tsunami emergency.
• Tsunamis can occur at any time, day or night. They can travel up rivers and streams that lead to the ocean.
• A tsunami is not a single wave, but a series of waves. Stay out of danger until an "ALL CLEAR" is issued by a competent authority.
• Approaching tsunamis are sometimes heralded by noticeable rise or fall of coastal waters. This is nature's tsunami warning and should be heeded.
• Approaching large tsunamis are usually accompanied by a loud roar that sounds like a train or aircraft. If a tsunami arrives at night when you cannot see the ocean, this is also nature's tsunami warning and should be heeded.
• A small tsunami at one beach can be a giant a few miles away. Do not let modest size of one make you lose respect for all.
• Sooner or later, tsunamis visit every coastline in the Pacific. All tsunamis—like hurricanes—are potentially dangerous, even though they may not damage every coastline they strike.
• Never go down to the beach to watch for a tsunami! WHEN YOU CAN SEE THE WAVE, YOU ARE TOO CLOSE TO ESCAPE. Tsunamis can move faster than a person can run!
• During a tsunami emergency, your local emergency management office, police, fire and other emergency organizations will try to save your life. Give them your fullest cooperation.
• Homes and other buildings located in low lying coastal areas are not safe. Do NOT stay in such buildings if there is a tsunami warning.
• The upper floors of high, multi-story, reinforced concrete hotels can provide refuge if there is no time to quickly move inland or to higher ground.
• If you are on a boat or ship and there is time, move your vessel to deeper water (at least 100 fathoms). If it is the case that there is concurrent severe weather, it may may safer to leave the boat at the pier and physically move to higher ground.
• Damaging wave activity and unpredictable currents can effect harbor conditions for a period of time after the tsunami's initial impact. Be sure conditions are safe before you return your boat or ship to the harbor.
• Stay tuned to your local radio, marine radio, NOAA Weather Radio, or television stations during a tsunami emergency. Bulletins issued through your local emergency management office and National Weather Service offices can save your life.