Tsunami watch canceled for Central Coast after 7.9 earthquake hits near Alaska

UPDATE 1/23/18 5:40 0.m.: For some, Monday night was like any other.

“I just slept the same, slept like a baby,” said Omar Arriaga.

But for many emergency responders, it was sleepless in Monterey.

“We know when earthquakes are in the 7 to 8 range up in Alaska that there’s a potential for a Tsunami,” said Pat Moore with Monterey County Emergency Services.

Moore got into the office before the sun came up to monitor the conditions after a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Alaska after midnight.

This is how tsunami monitoring works.

“The state gets together with the National Tsunami Warning Center, the USGS and any other partners and stake holders that have (a stake) in it. They determine whether, ‘OK, there is a need to notify the operational areas and cities along the coast’,” Moore said.

As more data come in, state and local emergency responders will determine whether to alert the public.

“We had some calls (with) people going ‘why weren’t we warned?” Moore said. “We weren’t at that stage yet. It was a watch. We didn’t know if anything was coming. And a watch can be elevated to a warning or it can be, simply said, there’s nothing to worry about.”

California is no stranger to tsunamis.

In 1946, an 8.6 magnitude shakeout in Alaska led to a tsunami along the Pacific coast. Waves in California were more than 8 feet high.

Another massive one hit the state in 1964.

Alan Nelson remembered the most recent one, when a magnitude 9.0 earthquake rattled Japan and sent high waters across the Pacific.

“Multiple pulses that came in and flooded the harbor and then it would empty out real quick,” Nelson said.

Emergency responders took time time to remind the public of tsunami preparedness. The Federal Emergency Management Agency sent out a tweet around noon, telling people to be familiar with evacuation routes and have a plan with family.

Responders at Santa Cruz County Emergency Services were also bracing for impact Tuesday morning. Staff said they have not had a tsunami watch since 2011. Had the watch been upgraded, they would have sent out alerts and made reverse 911 calls.

There are no tsunami sirens for the public on the central coast, emergency responders urge residents to sign up for local alerts.

UPDATE 1/23/18 4:26 a.m.: The Tsunami watch has been canceled for the entire West Coast, according to the U.S. Tsunami Warning System.

ORIGINAL STORY: A Tsunami Watch has been issued for coastal areas throughout the Central Coast after a magnitude 7.9 earthquake hit near Alaska around 12:31a.m local time.

Several large aftershocks have occurred in that area including a magnitude 5.0 earthquake.

Officials estimate if a Tsunami does occur, it will hit Monterey County around 5:55 a.m.

Information is limited at this time, we will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.