Tsunami advisories created a lot of excitement and some concern Tuesday night, but they have been canceled for the Tri-Counties.
The warnings started with a magnitude 8.8 earthquake off the coast of Russia on Tuesday afternoon. The magnitude made it onto the top ten list of earthquakes recorded in modern history.
For the Central and South Coasts, it initially meant a tsunami watch, which was then upgraded to a tsunami warning.
People were advised to stay away from beaches because of potentially high waves. Some beaches, the Ventura Pier, and Santa Barbara’s Stearns Wharf were closed.
But a monster wave never materialized in our area. Port San Luis recorded a 2.7-foot wave at 2:24 a.m. Wednesday, and Santa Barbara recorded a 1.5-foot wave attributed to the earthquake at 7:06 a.m. Wednesday.
The last advisories in the Tri-Counties were cancelled at around 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
However, officials say there is ongoing concern about tsunami-generated rip currents, which could be dangerous for swimmers. The National Weather Service is advising people to check in with lifeguards before heading into the ocean for the next few days.
