Tsunami Warnings Up In PH As Magnitude 7.4 Quake Hits Taiwan

(Photo : Getty Images/Sam Yeh)

Tsunami warnings are raised in the northern portion of the Philippines following the powerful earthquake that struck off Taiwan.

According to the US Geological Survey, the magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit Hualien City. The quake's epicenter is located about 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of the city, authorities noted.

Tsunami Warnings Raised

So far, there have already been reports of preliminary damage and destruction, prompting the deployment of military personnel to assist in the relief efforts of those affected by the strong earthquake.

The Central Weather Administration said that the earthquake could cause a tsunami that will impact Taiwan. A tsunami warning is issued to urge the coastal residents to take precautions against the hazards caused by substantial flooding.

Experts said that the latest earthquake was the strongest to hit Taiwan in 25 years. In 1999, a 7.7 magnitude quake struck 93 miles (150 kilometers) south of Taipei, killing 2,400 people and injuring 10,000 others.

In the Philippines, the Department of Science and Technology's Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology had raised a tsunami warning across provinces in the northern portion of Luzon.

Based on tsunami wave models and early tide gauge records of the tsunami in the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, coastal areas in the Philippines fronting the Pacific ocean are expected to experience high tsunami waves.

It is forecasted that the first tsunami waves will arrive between 08:33 AM to 10:33 AM, 03 Apr 2024 (PST). It may not be the largest and these waves may continue for hours, according to officials.

The residents in the coastal areas of Batanes Group of Islands, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, and Isabela are strongly advised to immediately evacuate to higher grounds or move farther inland.

Owners of boats in harbors, estuaries or shallow coastal waters of the above-mentioned provinces should secure their boats and move away from the waterfront. Meanwhile, boats already at sea during this period should stay offshore in deep waters until further advised

Meanwhile, the Japan Meteorological Agency also issued a tsunami alert for Miyakojima and Okinawa islands, warning of waves up to 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) high.

Further, a 30-centimeter (nearly 1 foot) wave impacted Okinawa, according to authorities.

Sea Waves

A tsunami is a series of sea waves commonly generated by under-the-sea earthquakes and whose heights could be greater than five meters.

Experts said that it is erroneously called tidal waves and sometimes mistakenly associated with storm surges. Tsunamis can occur when the earthquake is shallow-seated and strong enough to displace parts of the seabed and disturb the mass of water over it.

There are two types of tsunami generation: the local tsunami and far or distant tsunami. The coastal areas in the Philippines especially those facing the Pacific Ocean, South China Sea, Sulu Sea and Celebes Sea can be affected by tsunamis that may be generated by local earthquakes.

Local tsunamis are confined to coasts within a hundred kilometers of the source usually earthquakes and a landslide or a pyroclastics flow as this can reach the shoreline within two to five minutes.

Far field or distant tsunamis can travel from one to 24 hours before reaching the coast of the nearby countries. These tsunamis mainly coming from the countries bordering Pacific Ocean like Chile, Alaska in USA and Japan.