. good morning. i'm max foster in for poppy harlow and phil mattingly. and we're following breaking news out of japan for you on

this new year's day. evacuations and tsunami warnings triggered after a massive earthquake, this is video of the tremors rocking a train sdags in cen station in central japan. tsunami waves could be as high as 16 feet. here you can see people hiding under tables at a bowling alley as the earthquake shook that building. japan's weather agency says that powerful aftershocks could continue the next three days with potential building collapses and landslides. this is video of the aftermath in some buildings that have already been destroyed. let's go to hanako montgomery in tokyo. and we're only getting a rough picture here because the communications are really bad and the power stations had to be closed down because they were under threat. >> reporter: yeah, max, as you

said, this was a very powerful earthquake and already a tsunami warning triggered for the entire west coast of japan. we also know it was a shallow earthquake. and this is significant because with shallow earthquakes, they could potentially be more det destructive and powerful and they could trigger massive tsunamis. we already know that major tsunami warning has been issued in the city of close to the epicenter, the first major tsunami warning issued since 2011 when 22,000 people were killed in an eararthquake and subsequent tsunami. >> and in terms of that air, as we understand it, i was speaking to a seismologist earlier, earthquakes tend to be on the eastern coast and this is on the western coast. does that mean that it is less prepared or more prepared for an event like this? >> reporter: you know, the

japanese government does try to unify a lot of the preparations for large earthquakes of course. they try to be quite judicious and equal in terms of how they essentially produce help and assistance. we already know that the japanese prime minister's office has set up an office of response dis s distance. and how to get people to higher ground. we're hearing some reports of people being injured in ishikawa prefecture and we know that 32,500 homes have lost power. we also know that bullet train lines have been suspended. there are no reports of any nuclear abnormalities, nuclear power plants which are not very dlo close to the epicenter, but still in the region. >> and that is because they have fortification for the waves and are prepared for earthquakes as well.

and after past experience, they have very much ramped up those preparations in recent years. >> reporter: yeah, that's correct. i mean, japan of course when it experienced the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, it was a devastating moment for the country. and really there were a lot of lessons to be learned there. of course there were the issues with the dnuclear power plants but also just in terms of how architecture could be more prepared for large earthquakes, lieu t large tsunamis. and the city of notment on, this noto, it is a sea theport town. a lot of fishermen. and so a lot concerns about how to evacuate people to higher ground, what potential devastation could be caused in these regions. >> the buildings are --

certainly new buildings are very much built with this in mind, aren't they. it is a very rich country and they are prepared for these events. so the people that couldn't get to higher ground, hopes are presumably high that they are safe as long as they can get to the top of one of these more modern buildings. >> reporter: yes, you know, it is hard to confirm just how many people are needing help, are needing to be evacuated. because of course as you mentioned, lines have been down. but the japanese government is trying to get information out to people. it is trying to confirm facts and details about who needs rescuing, but what potential damage is caused. because as you mentioned, there are parts of japan that are well equipped to handle these earthquakes and tsunamis. but for smaller regional places like ishikawa prefecture, specifically the area of noto, we might be seeing potential damage to homes. you know, not all of these homes are built with concrete or with

earthquake-prone material. some are built with wood. and those materials can be more flexible and potentially fall more easily in the middle of an earthquake, max. >> okay. hanako montgomery, we'll be back with you as you get more details. it is pretty thin on the information on the ground for obvious reasons. derek van dam is tracking this as well. the idea of a 16-foot wave potentially coming in, that is really severe. >> yeah, that was the initial and what they do, they base that off of available information from previous similar magnitude earthquakes at that depth. and they come out with an initial projection of a tsunami wave. so far we've only seen up to 1.2 meters or roughly 5 feet. so that is important. and what else is important for people and viewers tuning in around the world as they wake up this morning on this first day

of 2024 is that the tsunami threats and the threat after shocks has not yet waned. remember tsunamis are not just one initial wave. they are a series of waves. and sometimes the timing between the crest of the waves, that is from wave height to wave height, that can happen between 5 minutes to upwards of an hour or even longer. so the threat continues for the west coast of japan, the threat continues for portions of russia. and into the korean peninsula as well. this is the latest warning from the japan meteorological agency. and we're focusing in on the eastern came with a pre-if he c can -- ishikawa prefecture, that is a major tsunami warning. and there are warnings and advisories that span the entire western coastline. remember shaking was felt as far

east as tokyo. and so the observed tsunami wave heights we've seen so far, 1.2 meters in the ishikawa prefecture. and remember the projections of how high the waves could become is all based on local topography. a tsunami wave is not equal in height. it is dependent on the seabed and across the shoreline, how the wave plays out. but bottom line is that the tectonic plates have shifted near the west coast of japan. and that caused a displacement in the ocean's water. and that has allowed for the tsunami wave to occur and of course the ongoing threat being that this is a series of waves that could impact the region and impact -- we could see tsunami waves into portions of the korean peninsula and russia as well. >> and this is why communication is so important. and obviously japanese media going 24/7 with this, but when

you see the waves coming towards you, they don't always look that intimidating but they actually grow as they go inland and they have immense power behind them and people need to know what they are in order to know how to respond. >> yeah, correct. it is all about the population density around the shoreline, how quickly they can get to higher ground. how safe the buildings are within that particular area. but the constant surge of water that occurs with a tsunami can be so dangerous because that water needs to retreat at some stage. so it will take whatever it has pushed inland back out into the ocean with it as well. when we're talking about just the earthquake alone, a couple things stand out to me. not the overall just general magnitude of this, a 7.5 is significant, but it is the fact that it is such a shallow earthquake as well. this is important. a depth of 6 miles or 10 kilometers. what that does, being so shallow, it doesn't allow for the earth to absorb the

shocking -- the tectonic plates shifting. so the potential exists at least for larger destruction and potential for more casualties as well. so this is the ishikawa pref prefecture, it sticks out a little bit like a sore thumb there. but that puts it in a very vulnerable position because the epicenter was just offshore and the waves can wrap around that peninsula quite easily. and we're talking over 50 million people feeling some sort of shaking from this magnitude 7.5. it stands out to me as well. nearly 44 million people feeling light shaking, half a million people feeling very strong to severe shaking as well. so the potential here as we have confirmed some of the videos on the ground already is that destruction has occurred on the ground where away from the epicenter and away from the tsunami threat. so there have already been 13 aftershocks of 2.5 or higher. we expect this to continue.

we typically see at least one 6.5 or higher, at least ten 5.5 or higher. and at least 10 00 3.5 or hire. so aftershocks continue and they can be very severe. usually not as severe as the initial earthquake unless it was a foreshock. but time will tell. based on latest observed earthquake parameters, significant damage is likely. disaster potentially being widespread. and according to the usgs data, thestited impact losses for the country of japan could be less than 1% of the gdp of japan's economy. so these are initial projections based on previous earthquakes of similar moogagnitude. >> derek, thank you very much. stay with "cnn this morning" as we continue to cover the

breaking news, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake shaking japan on new year's day. our crews are standing by live in tokyo and we'll be right back.

we're following bred out of japan, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake striking western japan triggering tsunami warnings along the coastal regions. at least three strong after shocks have been reported as well. let's get insight on all of this from dr. hazad. senior lecturer and from the

joint tsunami commission. thank you for joining us. we are very concerned obviously about the tsunamis. there are warnings, we're seeing them hit the coast today of more than a meter. how do you read all of this? >> this is a very serious incident. we have the 7.5 earthquake at the shallow death of only 10 kilometers. and this is a type of earthquake that is making a sizable tsunami as you see the waves are coming to the coast. this just reminds of the 1993 e earthquake and tsunami in the same area. we had the one in 2011 and we

also have the east side the sea of japan. and this is happening in the sea of japan, a very close basin. and any tsunami in this basin can create long big waves. and just reminds of the 1993 event that the magnitude was 7.7 and that earthquake and tsunami killed more than 200 people. >> so you would compare it to the 1990 event as opposed to the one about ten years ago which a lot of people are talking about today. >> the 2011 earthquake and tsunami killed more than 20,000 people. that was the west side. but this is actually a very different setup. we are now in the west side of japan, the sea of japan. and that is very different setting and different situation.

and sometimes any tsunami on this side of japan can be very dangerous because it is a very closed basin and any tsunami can lead to long floodings. and so we had a similar size incident around the same area in 1 1993. that even actually was one of the drivers of the japan goal of working one tsunami system for japan. >> and we've had tsunami warnings throughout the morning. and then the tsunamis did strike. we've still got major tsunami warning which is focused on the noto area. they are suggesting waves around 5 meters, i think that is about 16 feet. that is particularly severe, isn't it, on any level. but primarily with the landscape

i you just described. >> definitely, max, this is a very different landscape and we are actually expecting a tsunami with the height of 5 to 6 meters. as i'm watching realtime instrumentations coming from japan, offshore gauges is around 1 meter and 1 meter offshore is very serious tsunami because eventually final height of the tsunami is expected to be 5, 6 meters. and that is why the japan government and my colleagues are warning 5 to 6 meters. and this is obviously as you said more serious because this is not an open ocean area. this is a closed basin. closed sea as you see on the maps. sea of japan. and any tsunami in this landscape can be more dangerous. sea of japan is almost closed.

it is a closed basin. and any tsunami can be more dangerous because tsunami can lead to long flooding. and they can last 24 to 48 hours. and that is why the japan government is treating this incident very seriously. because they know that this will be -- also keep in mind that we have 8 to 9 nuclear power plants at that side of japan. because traditionally for japanese government, pacific side is more dangerous. so as much as possible try to move the nuclear plants to the west side, to the side of the japan sea. and so that is not very safe as we see today. >> and also as i understand it, they are actually on the coastline, aren't they. i spoke to a seismologist and he

has visited these sites. he said that he is quite confident that they have the wave walls and they have the underpinning to handle the earthquake. are you concerned that they are not really considering the nature of the sea there and the size of the waves coming in and you are a bit more concerned about the energy infrastructure there that they aren't? >> max, the thing we learned from the 2011 japan earthquake and tsunami, i visited the area, i was in japan at that time myself. and the thing we learned from that incident is that the seawalls are not going to be making the coast very safe. the seawalls sometimes are not very useful and can be easily overtopped and overturned by tsunamis. because tsunami waves are more energy than high waves.

so i would say i'm sure the japanese government know that, that they have to have other plans for example especially for the nuclear program, they have to have plans for turning off the plant and other measures to ensure that the nuclear plants are exactly in the same place that we see on the screen there, we have one there. and the news from the plant, that that nuclear plant was off this morning. fortunately it was off. >> okay. doctor, thank you very much indeed for joining us with your analysis and highlighting the fact that this is a very different sea from the other side where we normally get these earthquakes. and therefore more unpredictable effect. our breaking news, that powerful earthquake hitting western japan. tsunami warnings, evacuations and aftershocks in its wake. our coverage continues after this break.

in order for small businesses to thrive, they need to be smart, efficient, savvy. making the most of every opportunity. that's why comcast business is introducing the small business bonus. for a limited time you can get up to $1000 prepaid card with qualifying internet. yup, $1000. so switch to business internet from the company with the largest fastest reliable network. give your business a head start in 2024 with this great offer. plus, ask how to get up to $1000 prepaid card with qualifying internet.

we're following breaking news out of japan on this new year's day. a powerful earthquake triggering tsunami warnings and evacuations, this video of a train station just as the quake struck. japanese officials are warning that tsunami waves could be as high as 16 feet. aftershocks could last for days as well. let's go to hanako montgomery in

tokyo. we were speaking to that expert earlier on and saying there has been a lot of experience with these earthquakes on the east coast but this is different because it is on the west coast and it is an enclosed sea. so we could see a much more unpredictable effect of these tsunamis. >> reporter: yeah, max. just looking back on that huge earthquake and tsunami that we saw in 2011 when 22,000 people died, that happened on the east coast of japan and that was very devastating for the country. of course since then the japanese government has really tried to amp up its disaster warnings, its buildings essentially to make sure that they withstand earthquakes and tsunamis. but for this earthquake that happened on the west coast of japan, as you mentioned, there are lots of concerns about incoming tsunami waves. already we have seen japanese government issue a major tsunami warning for the city of noto in

the easishikawa prefecture closo the epicenter. this is the first time that japan has issued this major tsunami warning since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. so again, just a lot of concerns about what could happen with the tsunami. cnn has confirmed that we're already seeing 1.2 meters of waves. during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, we saw waves of up to 30 feet. so again, we're just waiting to hear what damage has been caused because of this very powerful earthquake and subsequent tsunamis. >> and we haven't been able to get a hold of people, have we, because there are communication issues. but also people were basically told they have a few minutes until a tsunami might arrive. and they should head up to higher ground without going back to pick up their belongings. so really frightening day for the people on the west coast. >> reporter: that's correct. many people in japan are celebrating new year's day. so they are at home watching the

tv with their family and friend. and suddenly at 4:10 local time, there was an emergency announcementen a earthquake is happening. and on the west coast, that quake was felt very powerfully. so immediately people were told to evacuate their homes, leave their belongings, evacuate to higher ground. that is the first step often when trying to evacuate when there is a potential tsunami. again, this is a developing story. we're still waiting to hear just the extent of damage. but nhk, the japanese public broadcaster, is reporting that six people are reported injured. and we know that about 33,000 homes in ishikawa prefecture again close to the epicenter have lost power. we're also hearing reports of damaged houses from fallen power lines. and also we know that bullet train lines have been suspended.

reportedly there have been no damages to nuclear power stations damaged nearby. but again we're hearing from the prime minister and the team of the emergency responders. >> and the prime minister came out with that appearance which was quite telling. because it was quite short, brief, he was very serious and he just wanted to let people know that he was across it. but we haven't heard from him since. presumably he is having the same struggles getting information right now. >> reporter: yes, the japanese prime minister is trying to confirm information is what he's been telling the country. of course he is the leader of japan. so at this moment in time, he has to be able to confirm just the extent of damage, who needs evacuating out of ishikawa prefecture and subsequent areas that might be affected by the tsunamis. and again the very powerful earthquakes, max. >> okay.

hanako montgomery, thank you. derek van dam is tracking all of this for us as well. i don't know if you heard the interview i had with the tsunami expert, but he was suggesting that it is much more unpredictable than some of the other experts that we've been speaking to because of the enclosed nature of the sea. and you were talking about the seabed and how it is particularly worrying. >> yeah. that's right. just look at a broad map of the area, right, max, you've got the korean peninsula to the west, you have russia to the north, you have japan all enclosing the sea of japan. and where that earthquake, the magnitude 7.5, occurred, that water is going to propagate in all directions. instead of having an entire pacific ocean to absorb that energy, it is going to be bounced around, sloshed around across the sea of japan or the east china sea depending on where you are located. i want to bring up the video of

the water pushing up the canal. that was particularly interesting to me. what you are seeing there is what we're trying to stress home to people. that tsunami is not necessarily one wave that takes out infrastructure or reaches the coastline. it is a series of waves. it is a surge of water. and sometimes the crest, the wave crest between highest waves to the second highest waves can be anywhere from 5 minutes to upwards of an hour. so the threat is not over especially for the near shoreline near the epicenter. and also across that sea of japan or east china sea depending on where you are located. so that is important. just think about what happens during an underwater earthquake. it literally can cause a displacement of the ocean or the sea. and that displacement is transpired into a wave at the surface. and that expert that you were

talking to, i heard him speak about this because i haven't seen this information, but hearing it from the expert himself, the offshore buoys were registering a 1 meter tsunami. and that transpires to a larger wave once it reaches the coastline. it is all about the pa them friday which is the shape of the coastline that can alter that wave height as it gets closer and closer to the coast. because as that nature of the shoreline edges closer to where people live, the water has nowhere to go but up. and that can cause larger waves. and that is why the japan meteorological agency for instance in its initial suggestion around this potential tsunami wave of upwards of 16 feet or 5 meters. that is why they have issued a major tsunami warning. that is for the ishikawa prefecture, that shading of le near that little peninsula that sticks out on the west side of

the country of japan. yeah, that is significant because it hasn't been issued since the devastating tsunami that occurred in 2011 claims over 20,000 people's lives. so we have seen reports of official tsunami wave heights of roughly 5 feet or 1.2 meters. that is in the ishikawa prefecture as well. but potential still exists for large tsunami waves to occur basin-wide, that is across the sea of japan or east china sea, because of the nature of the shallow earthquake and how powerful it was. >> and i was reading here that the chief cabinet secretary saying the power converts, the power plant in the area is affected but no major results. and the expert also said that the seawalls built too protect these power plants aren't actually that effective. which is worrying, isn't it. but i guess we just have to see how it plays out. and this idea that the water will be washing in and out that

you were talking about, this could go on for a day or so. >> yeah, as far as it goes inland, if it does create destruction in the immediate coastline, it has to rush out as well. so it will take that debris along with it. and haven't had an opportunity to look for the locations of those nuclear power plants on the west side of japan, but keep in mind the east coastline, this is where we have the majority of our earthquakes and tsunami threats. so to see this occur on the west side of the country, this is significant. because maybe it is catching people off guard. maybe it is impacting coastlines that haven't experienced this for some time. and so the threat there can't be underestimated and when we just talk about the earthquake alone, we're talkingoff 5 over 50 mill people feeling? shaking from this.

especially near the epicenter. but also reports of severe to violence shaking far away from the epicenter. in fact they were feeling it as far east as tokyo. and we can expect the aftershocks to continue. in fact the number continues to go up since the original 7.5, we've had 15 after shocks of 2.5 magnitude or higher. so the threat there from an already destabilized structure, let's say the buildings that have already caused -- had some damage from the original earthquake to have aftershocks could easily take that building down. >> we'll be back with you as you get more. thank you for joining us with our coverage of the 7.5 magnitude earthquake in japan. that will continue in a moment. but first a look at the race for the white house as candidates enter the final stretch until the all-important iowa caucuses. stay with us.

breaking news out of japan, a massive 7.5 magnitude earthquake hitting off the western coast overnight, it was shallow. this is brand new video of a fire that started in wajima. we'll continue to follow the updates, but they arecredibly s with the communication there. we turn to the race to the white house. just two weeks to go until the iowa caucuses. and candidates hoping to start the new year with support.

eskva mckend is joining us live. ron desantis rang in the new year with supporters. >> reporter: yeah, good morning. just two weeks away from iowa caucus, really the first major political contest of the season after nearly a year on the campaign trail for a lot of these candidates. this will allow the nation to see if gop hopefuls can chip away at former president trump's frontrunner status and change expectations here. governor desantis gave a new year's eve address where he told supporters that he was ready to spend the next few days out working his opponents. let's listen. >> all we have to do is work hard. we have -- the way he view the choice in this primary, donald trump is running on his issues. nikki haley is running on her donors' issues. i'm the only one running on your issues.

>> reporter: governor desantis has gone all in on iowa, leaning hard on the evangelical community there thinking that he can make inroads with that constituency. he will spend the next several days campaigning in iowa. meanwhile nikki haley who is doing quite well in new hampshire, about 15 minutes behind former president trump in the granite state, they will spend the next few days campaigning there. >> what are you learning about her strategy? is it going to shift a bit running up to the election days? >> reporter: yeah, so from being on the ground with her the last few weeks, she is really leaning heavily into this electability argument and it shows. from the type of voters that show up to her rally, often mod agents, independents, people ready to move on from trump. her pitch is that she can beat president biden in a general election and is the best person in the field situated to do so.

so i expect here in the closing days before we get to iowa where she has said she has to do well but not necessarily win, more hope for her in new hampshire where she has said that electability is so key. and i expect that to continue to be core to her pitch to voters. >> you'll be very easy this year. thank you so much for joining us. another big issue in the election of course coming up, texas' republican governor greg abbott continuing to send hundreds of migrants to cities run by democrats. officials say a plane carrying more than 350 stl 50 asylum see arrived at an airport in chicago. camila bernal has more on the migrant crisis in the u.s. >> reporter: a breaking point at the u.s./mexico border as preliminary homeland security statistics show authorities encountered more than 225,000

migrants so far in december. the highest monthly total recorded in more than 20 years. and from the border to cities all over the u.s., struggling to keep up. because this welcome comes at a cost. >> when you are talking about 10% of the budget to allocate for cities on this, that is unsustainable. we have every single hotel room full of migrants, that is unsustainable. >> reporter: for months governor abbott has bussed thousands of migrants to these cities led by democrats, resulting in turmoil and straining resources. >> at one point in the summer we had 25, 30 buses showing up every single day without any coordination or any notification. he is sending buses outside of the city of chicago in some instances 100 miles away where

people are being dropped off and being told that they are in the city of chicago, literally dropped off in the middle of nowhere. i find that to be inhumane and unconscionable. >> reporter: smaller municipalities have passed ordinances to try to stop it. while mayors of denver, new york and chicago are asking the federal government for help. >> i think much more could be done and with all of our national leaders from a decompression strategy and making sure the cost is not falling on the laps of everyday taxpayers in our cities. >> reporter: they are also demanding for coordinated dropoffs with exact times and locations to dedicate the appropriate resources. >> what we need is everyone that gets in the country should have the ability to work, they should have federal dollars to help support them in the cities that they arrive in and we should have a coordinated national plan for where those folks arrive. >> reporter: in a statement a spokesperson for abbott accused the democrat mayors of hypocrisy saying they are now going to extreme lengths to avoid fulfilling their self declared sanctuary city promises.

the statement also said the mayors should call on their party leader to finally do his job and secure the border. something that he continues refusing to do. but someme activiststs believe crisis at the border takes republicans, democrats and all levels of gogovernment to o sol. >> if the governmements are not doing that, then most our people will see, people will be further traumatized and harmed and likely we will see more people die as a result of the inability of governments to really address the humanitarian needs asylum seekers have. >> reporter: and the biden administration has acknowledged the requests from the mayors saying the president asked congress for funding and for resources when it comes to the border and securing the border, specifically law enforcement. but also for funding for those cities that are hosting these migrants. and also for work permits. we have seen some bipartisan

efforts in congress to try to address this, but the bottom line is that congress has not found a permanent solution for this. camila bernal, cnn, los angeles. we're also following breaking news out of japan for you. a 7.5 magnitude earthquake on the western shoreline, doesn't normally happen there. moor ahead on the tsunami warnings and dozens aftershocks. plus rockets intercepted over israel, a live report from tel aviv, nenext.

we're watching -- there has been an earthquake off the

western coast of japan and it has triggered tsunamis. reports arriving at a meter high. one warning of a wave coming in at 5 meters high, possibly 5 to 6 meters according to a tsunami expert we've been speaking to. we're not getting much information right now because communications are obviously down. the power stations had to be closed down to protect them. so we're not getting much information. but we have been hearing from experts how they are particularly concerned because of the nature of the sea and how it is enclosed and how the waves could effectively be rising up and out of japan in particular. but you can also see how koreas are affected and also russia. we'll bring you as much detail as we can. in israel, 2024 begins with more rocket attentions. at least 12 were intercepted, vines wers sirens were heard as military wing of hamas claimed it bombarded tel aviv with 90

rockets at midnight. the idf says there is no happy new year until all 129 hostages are home. elliott gotkine is live in tel aviv with more. i'm wondering what government can do to reassure the families of those hostages at this time. >> reporter: prime minister benjamin netanyahu met with the families last week and additional comments he made in a news conference saturday evening, he seemed to suggest that another deal is doable. certainly he said that israel won't leave anyone behind. and that this is one of the core war objectives. first of course to destroy hamas militarily so it can never repeat the terrorist attacks of october 7 and second to bring all of the hostages home. now, more than 100 people are still in captivity in the gaza strip after being abducted on october 7. and we did hear and see from ox yoes reporting the other day about hamas telling qatar

mediators that in principal they have agreed to resume talks that could lead to up to 40 of the 100 plus hostages being released in exchange for palestinian prisoners being held in israeli jails, in exchange also of course for a pause of fighting of up to a month in length. so things seem to be moving in the direction of talks that could lead to another truce and hostages being released. but it is still far from a done deal even that they will get to the situation of having talks let alone agreeing on another truce that could see some or all of the hostages freed. >> and we're learning the idf bringing to drawdown the number of soldiers in gaza as well, that effectively preparing aren't they for a prolonged fight. >> reporter: israel has said all along that this is a complicated war, that it won't be done and dusted quickly.

and that we've heard from prime minister netanyahu on saturday evening, but also echoing comments from the chief of the general staff and others in the war cabinet that this war will go on for months. it will take months in order for israel to achieve its objectives, about 20,000 soldiers can now go back to their families and jobs. >> okay. elliott, thank you for joining us. meanwhile u.s. helicopters repelled an attack by houthi rebels in the red sea on sunday. sinking three boats. killing all those on board. it is the first time since the war broke out in gaza that the u.s. has killed members of the iranian-backed group which had been targeting vessels in the region to show support for hamas. kevin liptak has more. >> reporter: two navy helicopters shot and sank a houthi rebel boat. this is the first instance of a direct confrontation between the u.s. and the houthis since the october 7 terror attacks. and this is a growing concern

within the biden administration, a sense that this conflict could widen further. the way the incident unfolded is that commercial vessel came under attack from the houthi rebels in the boats. they sent out a distress call. u.s. sent the helicopters. when the houthis fired on the helicopters, the u.s. fired bck sinking the boats and killing all those aboard. and this is the first time that the u.s. has killed a member of the houthi rebel group since the conflict in israel began. the u.s. has been watching the situation very closely, transiting the red sea are these commercial vessels, a key commercial route. vessels all coming under fire from the houthis. and this is something that the is trying to prevent.

and the vessel fired upon this weekend was owned by maersk. that group had just resumed transiting the red sea when it happened and now they say they will wait 48 hours before making a decision on whether they will go back to the red sea moving forward. president biden is of course watching this very closely. his secretary of state antony blinken will be traveling to the middle east including israel next week. he will have conversations with israelis about shifting to a lower intensity phase of the conflict. that is something that the united states wants to see happen very soon, but this will be a top issue for president biden as he enters 2024. kevin liptak, cnn, traveling with the president in the u.s. virgin islands. also watching the breaking news of the 7.5 magnitude earthquake in japan. new information coming in all the time. particularly around the

tsunamis. major tsunami warning has come in and just look at that, that is what we're dealing with right now, crews are live in tokyo. stay with us.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ good morning, i'm max foster in for poppy harlow and phil mattingly. we're following breaking news for you out of japan on this n