TSUNAMI MESSAGE NUMBER 1 NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI 0833 UTC THU MAY 28 2009 THIS MESSAGE APPLIES TO COUNTRIES WITHIN AND BORDERING THE CARIBBEAN SEA...EXCEPT FOR PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS. ... A LOCAL TSUNAMI WATCH IS IN EFFECT ... A TSUNAMI WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR HONDURAS / BELIZE / GUATEMALA FOR OTHER AREAS OF THE CARIBBEAN COVERED BY THIS MESSAGE...IT IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY AT THIS TIME. THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. ONLY NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE DECISIONS REGARDING THE OFFICIAL STATE OF ALERT IN THEIR AREA AND ANY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE. AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS ORIGIN TIME - 0825Z 28 MAY 2009 COORDINATES - 16.7 NORTH 86.3 WEST LOCATION - NORTH OF HONDURAS MAGNITUDE - 7.3 EVALUATION A DESTRUCTIVE WIDESPREAD TSUNAMI THREAT DOES NOT EXIST BASED ON HISTORICAL EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI DATA. HOWEVER - THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF A LOCAL TSUNAMI THAT COULD AFFECT COASTS LOCATED USUALLY NO MORE THAN A HUNDRED KILOMETERS FROM THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER. AUTHORITIES FOR THE REGION NEAR THE EPICENTER SHOULD BE AWARE OF THIS POSSIBILITY. AREAS FURTHER FROM THE EPICENTER COULD EXPERIENCE SMALL SEA LEVEL CHANGES AND STRONG OR UNUSUAL COASTAL CURRENTS. ESTIMATED INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE ARRIVAL TIMES AT FORECAST POINTS WITHIN THE WARNING AND WATCH AREAS ARE GIVEN BELOW. ACTUAL ARRIVAL TIMES MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE LARGEST. A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES AND THE TIME BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR. LOCATION FORECAST POINT COORDINATES ARRIVAL TIME -------------------------------- ------------ ------------ HONDURAS PUERTO CORTES 15.9N 88.0W 0848Z 28 MAY TRUJILLO 15.9N 86.0W 0856Z 28 MAY BELIZE BELIZE CITY 17.5N 88.2W 0908Z 28 MAY GUATEMALA PUERTO BARRIOS 15.7N 88.6W 0919Z 28 MAY ADDITIONAL BULLETINS WILL BE ISSUED BY THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER FOR THIS EVENT AS MORE INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
-- Posted By Breaking News to BN at 5/28/2009 12:06:00 PM
