MANILA, Philippines – The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued a tsunami alert following the 8.9-magnitude quake that hit the northern coasts of Honshu in Japan before 2:00 p.m. today.
Philvolcs Director Renato Solidum is now advising residents in coastal areas to evacuate and seek refuge in higher grounds.
The agency earlier issued tsunami alert level 1 in the provinces in the northern and eastern coastlines of the country, namely, Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Quezon, Isabela, Aurora, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Sorsogon, Albay, Catanduanes, Samar, Leyte, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao del Sur, and Davao Oriental.
The Philippine Coast Guard has also alerted its operatives in the country in light of the tsunami alert issued by the Philvolcs.
PCG chief Wilfredo Tamayo said its rescue teams across the country are on standby for any untoward incident, while advising all the vessels in the country to prevent from sailing at seas.
As of this posting, the Hawaii-based PTWC is monitoring the coast of Japan, while extending its tsunami alert level to Russia, Marcus Is., N. Marianas, Guam, Wake Is., Taiwan, Marshall Is., Belau, Midway Is., Pohnpei, Chuuk, Kosrae, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Johnston Is., Solomon Is., Kiribati, and Hawaii.
Earthquakes are classified in categories ranging from minor to great, depending on their magnitude.
| Class | Magnitude | Effect |
| Great | 8 or more | Can totally destroy communities near the epicenter |
| Major | 7 - 7.9 | Serious damage |
| Strong | 6 - 6.9 | May cause a lot of damage in very populated areas |
| Moderate | 5 - 5.9 | Slight damage to buildings and other structures |
| Light | 4 - 4.9 | Often felt, but only causes minor damage |
| Minor | 3 - 3.9 | Usually not felt, but can be recorded by seismograph. |
The powerful quake happened after a tremor occurred China, killing at least 25 people Thursday. Early today, a moderate quake jolted Mindoro Islands but no damage had been reported.
Source: philstar.com
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