UPDATE 5:15pm | The city of Long Beach announced at 4:59 p.m. that all city operations had returned to normal and that the potential threat of a tsunami affecting the city’s coastal areas had subsided.
No damages have been reported, though water-level surges from 10 to 12 inches were seen in the Downtown Marina.
Following the devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake in Honshu, Japan, this morning, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a low-level tsunami advisory for California coastal cities south of Santa Barbara County. Long Beach remained on alert throughout the morning.
Safety officials advised the public to stay out of the water and off jetties and piers in the event an unpredictable tidal movement occurred. Boat owners were also advised to tightly secure vessels in the Alamitos Bay and Downtown marinas.
“City departments responded immediately to deploy precautionary measures when the tsunami advisory was issued, and I applaud our city workers for working quickly to coordinate these efforts,” Mayor Bob Foster said. “I also appreciate that people adhered to warnings from safety officials to stay away from the water.
“Although we were fortunate not to experience any damage in Long Beach, the devastation in Japan is horrific,” the mayor continued. “Our thoughts are with the people of Japan in the wake of this terrible tragedy.”
10:04am | A tsunami advisory for the Southwestern California coast, including Long Beach, continues after waves of up to 3 feet were expected, though not eminent, at about 8:30 a.m.
Mayor Bob Foster issued a statement earlier this morning regarding the 8.9 temblor — the fifth largest ever recorded — that ravaged Japan last night, causing a 13-foot tsunami that traversed the Pacific Ocean overnight at a speed of about 500 miles per hour.
“While we expect the effects of the tsunami to be minimal, tidal currents will be dangerous and the event may last as long as 10 hours,” Foster said. “Please stay out of the water and heed other warnings from safety officials.”
The city issued the following statement:
Long Beach at this point is not expecting significant damage, but waves up to 3 feet may hit our coast around 8:30 a.m. … Our police, fire and other city departments have already begun preparations in case there is a change in danger levels, and city officials are monitoring the situation closely. At this point no evacuation has been ordered, but we are asking residents near the coast to be on alert.
Long Beach police deployed a helicopter earlier this morning to fly up and down the coast and, using loudspeakers, warn people to evacuate the beach. All beach parking lots have been closed, and boaters in the city’s marinas have been advised to tighten down their vessels.
While Long Beach is protected by an outlying breakwater, causing major wave action to be unlikely, water level surges have been the main concern. The harbor was forecasted to see a roughly .3 meter surge.
In Shoreline Marina, boaters and fisherman were testing water levels as they gently rose and fell quickly this morning just before 10 a.m. Past tsunami ripple effects featuring water levels that rise and fall too quickly have knocked boats into the docks and loosened them from their moorings.
The Public Works Department deployed the Seawall plugs for Naples in the event that those plugs are needed to prevent flooding.
The city has advised that residents stay out of the water because tsunamis produce strong currents and undertows that are dangerous to people in or very near the water. These conditions are expected to continue until 6 to 8 p.m.