Vancouver Island tsunami advisory lifted after volcanic eruption near Tonga
The District of Tofino closed all of its beaches and officials up and down Vancouver Island's west coast warned people to stay away from the water amid a tsunami advisory on Saturday.
A tsunami advisory is not a warning. No evacuations were ordered and no parts of the shore were expected to be inundated. However, strong currents and waves were expected to last for several hours Saturday, according to the National Tsunami Warning Center.
Geoff Johnson has lived on the Island's west coast since 2007. He said the effects of the tsunami were visible in local harbours on Saturday, but not particularly dramatic.
"It doesn't come in as a wave, per se, but it's as if the tide goes up a foot or two in a matter of a couple of minutes and then goes back down again shortly," he told CTV News.
"With the Japan earthquake (in 2011), we actually went from a full, bottomed-out low tide to a full high tide and back in a space of 20 minutes."
Johnson took the advisory as an opportunity to capture drone footage of the surf from a safe distance.
The advisory issued Saturday morning covered four zones in B.C. following a volcanic eruption in the Pacific Basin near the Tonga Islands.
Zone A covers the north coast including Haida Gwaii, while Zone B covers the central and northeast Vancouver Island coasts, which include Kitimat, Bella Coola and Port Hardy.
The advisory also applied to the outer west coast of Vancouver Island from Cape Scott to Port Renfrew, dubbed Zone C, as well as Zone D, which spans the Juan de Fuca Strait from Jordan River to Greater Victoria including the Saanich Peninsula.
The advisory for Zones A and B was lifted shortly after noon. It was lifted for all zones by 3 p.m.
Tofino Mayor Dan Law said there had been no reports of damage or major incidents in the town during the advisory.
"It's pretty mellow," he said. "I think it was certainly a good exercise in emergency preparedness."
Provincial Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said the risk was limited to increased tidal currents and residents should stay away from beaches, shorelines and marinas and follow local government guidance until the advisory is lifted.
He said several communities along the coast activated their emergency plans overnight.
“Emergency Management BC immediately activated the Provincial Emergency Co-ordination Centre, and all provincial regional operations centres on the coast,” he said in a release. “The agency has also been supporting local governments and First Nations with updates and a series of co-ordination calls.”
Two emergency notification alerts were issued to emergency managers, and local communities are informing residents as per their emergency protocols for an advisory of this type, Farnworth said.
“Although this is not a tsunami warning, this event demonstrates that coastal warning systems do work.”
Sylvan Daugert, co-fire chief in the village of Massett, B.C. said he received just one of the two public alerts sent to residents shortly after the center issued its bulletins.
“So that's disappointing,” he said.
But Daugert, who is also the public works superintendent in the village, said he is less concerned than he was initially after learning that wave heights in Alaska reached 35 centimetres or less.
The National Tsunami Warning Center also issued advisories for the coast of California to the Mexican border and the coasts of Oregon and Washington and the Aleutian Islands.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prosecution rests in Donald Trump’s hush money case. The defence now gets its turn to call witnesses
Michael Cohen testified Monday that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from his ex-boss Donald Trump’s company, an admission defence lawyers hope to use to undermine Cohen’s credibility.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
'The root cause': Canada outlines national action plan to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
Red Lobster probes 'endless shrimp' losses after bankruptcy filing
U.S.-based restaurant chain Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Florida court after securing $100 million in financing commitments from its existing lenders, the company said on Sunday.
Katy Perry sings goodbye to 'American Idol'
Katy Perry said her goodbyes on 'American Idol' after seven seasons. On Sunday night’s live 'idol' season finale, a medley of Perry's hit songs were performed, including 'Teenage Dream,' 'Dark Horse' and 'California Gurls.'
McGill says pro-Palestinian protest outside senior administrator's home 'crosses the line'
McGill University has denounced a pro-Palestinian protest held Sunday outside the home of one of its senior administrators.
'Next man up': Canucks coach, teammates bracing for Game 7 without Brock Boeser
Questions about how the team is going to handle the absence of star winger Brock Boeser from a do-or-die game seven dominated pre-game interviews with the Vancouver Canucks coach and players Monday morning.