there, there is a berm of sand along the coastline but then above that berm, you see -- it goes back down again. and a lot of homes are located right there in the front of that valley. n the front of that's why they are evacuating that place there. should that water breach that berm, of course, many of those homes would be in danger in the front of that valley. that's what we're watching for along the west coast really many of those low-lying areas. this is not a huge tsunami hitting the coastline. we are talking about two feet. but... should some places get inundated, that energy just comes streaming all the way across the pacific -- this is not like your typical wave moving across the pacific. it's moving at a high rate of speed, a high rate of energy. these come across about 600 miles per hour across the pacific. in a energy just being transferred all along the coastline. we are watching out for the possibility of tsunamis along up into the washington down through much of california. we are going to be watching this over the next couple of hours. of course it should shortly hit hawaii and that's going to really give us a good idea of

just what kind of tsunami we should expect on the west coast. that should happen in the next hour. we buoys in the pacific, as well. we'll get a better handle on what to expect along the west coast. stay tuned, folks. we have to watch this very closely. we have more coming up in a few minutes. back to you. >> thank you, lawrence. now, every bay area county has its office of emergency services up and running this morning. p and running this people want people particularly near the coast and the by to stay tuned to the news for the latest updates. anne makovec is at low-lying crissy field this morning in san francisco and joins us with the latest. >> reporter: the ocean is right behind me right now, frank. it is looking calm. but, of course, we are waiting for if the tsunami hits it would be at around 8:00 this morning. we have heard that the office of emergency services is planning on closing the beaches here in san francisco mainly as a precaution. but driving around the area, we

haven't seen anybody out trying to move people away or any notification at this point that the beaches are closed. i think a lot of emergency officials are watching to see what's going to happen. typically, tsunamis lose a lot of energy when they hit the bay. we are not expecting any widespread inundations but the best warning, if you see any unusual wave patterns or strong patterns coming in and coming out, you should move away from the beach area but now it's a wait-and-see game. we are watching the water and waiting to hear more official direction from the office of emergency services, even though we do have a tsunami warning here, they have not ordered any evacuations here in san francisco at least at this point. frank. >> okay, anne. we are still a good 3, 3.5 hours away from anything hitting us as well, right? >> reporter: yes. that is what we hear. so i think the information is going to be changing significantly over the next

couple of hours, including what lawrence mentioned when we see what happens over in hawaii. >> thank you very much, anne makovec. tsunami sirens have been sounding and coastal areas are being evacuated in hawaii right now. the first waves are expected to hit in 90 minutes. aftershocks keep rocking japan after that country's largest earthquake in its history. officially the death toll is 40 and is expected to rise considerably. people were killed by the quake and also the tidal waves of water that slammed ashore. we do have word at this hour that all u.s. servicemembers at the u.s. base in in okinawa have been accounted for. the quake hit at 9:46 p.m. last night our time. it was centered off the japanese coast. charlie d'agata continues our coverage.

>> it looks like the tsunami has engulfed several cities. >> reporter: a wall of water raced across farmland in northeastern japan sweeping cars and even buildings aside. a massive 8.9 earthquake off the coast triggered a 30-foot tsunami that washed away everything in its path. a tsunami warning has been issued throughout most of the pacific ocean including the entire west coast of the united states, hawaii, alaska and canada. cars bobbed in the water in the port cities. people raced to higher ground. the quake sparked fires that burned-out of control up and down the coast and at one oil refinery east of tokyo. a government spokesman urged people to stay calm. office workers were caught in swaying buildings in the capital. the quake struck in the middle of the afternoon.

they are used to earthquakes in japan but this is the biggest in 140 years. the pacific tsunami warning center says the tsunami warning stretches from russia to the philippines, taiwan and indonesia as far away as colombia and peru. the red cross has warned that the height of the wave is higher than some low lying islands in the pacific. in japan, the army is struggling to reach survivors inland. the u.n. has 30 international search-and-rescue teams on alert ready to help. charlie d'agata, cbs 5. we are monitoring the developments and continue to keep an eye on the tsunami warning here in the bay area. to get the latest, go to cbssf.com 24/7. on the phone with us now is harold [ indiscernible ] you're with menlo park fire and also an expert on urban search-and- rescue. about 4:15 this morning they said parts of pacifica including the linda mar area are being evacuated. is there any advice that you can give to people who live in

that area? >> well, to the people who live in that area, obviously they want to heed the warnings and not be in the way of this wave of water that could come ashore and for anyone else who think it's a good idea to go down there and see what's going on, i would advise against that, as well. >> are you worried about that? because a lot of folks, even surfers, i know when hurricanes hit the east coast a lot of times they flock to the coast thinking they are going to catch a wave. i imagine you will have a lot of looky-loos so to speak going out to see what's coming our way. >> well, yeah. you're not going to be able to prevent people from making poor decisions because there's a lot of ignorance when you have these events based upon previous recent where it wasn't quite as bad. we see a lot of that during hurricane season. i was down in florida one year and, of course, they are having parties prior to hurricane but then you get something like, for example, a hurricane katrina that comes in that wipes everything out, and that doesn't seem to be such a good

idea anymore. so once it hits, it's too late to get out of the way of it. this is not like the rogue wave that we saw at the mavericks surf contest which in itself was devastating for those people that were there and anyone who saw that footage, the power behind this is much more significant and the duration will be much greater. so, you know, our advice is to just not go down there. don't be around that. and keep yourself safe. >> okay. harold, thank you so much, from the menlo park fire department. thank you very much. we are going to switch -- actually, gianna franco the great highway is partially closed. let's go to gianna franco. does this have anything to do with the tsunami warning? >> exactly. they just moments ago shut down the great highway. so if you do plan on taking that throughout the morning, avoid it. use an alternate. parts of the great highway near sloat and lincoln are closed until further notice due to the tsunami warning. we are keep a close eye on the coast and roads through there for any closures or any

possible congestion especially in pacifica and linda mar due to the evacuations. there are a couple of other things going on throughout the bay area. accident 101 at 237 causing delays on 237. looks like they are over to the right shoulder and northbound 101 right at delong we have an accident there as well in the right lane. bay bridge not bad. we are going to keep a close eye on the coastal areas and keep you updated for congestion and closures that may happen because of the warning. back to you guys. >> thank you. time now is 4:38. we'll have much more on the japan earthquake and the tsunami up ahead including some new video of the tsunami and the areas still under water. plus, it's next to impossible just to get around in japan right now. the aftermath of the disaster and how it's paralyzing transit there. and with the tsunami expected to hit hawaii within the next half hour, the panic in paradise. here is a live picture from hawaii where they are just waiting for the surge to strike. we'll be right back. ,,

to evacuate. people in the linda mar area of pacifica are being told to leave imme parts of the bay area have been ordered to evacuate. people in the linda mar area of pacifica are told to leave immediately. we got word of this at 4:15 this morning. el granada and low-lying areas west of highway 1 are also being evacuated. evacuation shelters are being set up at nearby schools. forecasters expect a wave a couple feet high to hit the coastline just after 8 a.m. >> in news we have been following all morning long, least 60 people have died in the earthquake and tsunami that hit japan today. the 8.9 magnitude quake struck around 2:46 in the afternoon in japan. 9:46 last night our time here in the bay area it unleashed a 13-foot wall of water just

devastating the area, sweeping boats and cars and buildings miles from the coast. now, cameras captured the wave as it struck the city of sendai, about 250 miles northeast of tokyo, japan's army struggling to reach survivors inland. all ports closed and discharging operations halted, as well. where there isn't water, there are flames. and lots of them. fires triggered by the quake are burning out of control right now up and down japan's coastline including this one at an oil refinery. the prime minister says there is a major earthquake damage in the northeastern portion of japan but nuclear power facilities in the area fine, there was no radiation leakage so that's good news. japan's leader was addressing parliament the moment the quake him. you can see it shaking here. the quake was followed by more than 20 aftershocks including

7.4, bigger than the one that hit christchurch. this is the biggest earthquake in over 140 years there. the earthquake disrupted public transit in much of japan. hundreds of people are stranded inside train stations waiting for word right now how they will even get to their destinations. bullet train service to northern japan has been stopped. and rapid transit in tokyo has been suspended. and on the streets, traffic lights, many, are not working. a tsunami warning has we have been talking about has been issued across the pacific ocean. a 4.5 quake struck hawaii this morning as people there braced for their own tidal wave. warning sirens are blaring and people are being evacuated from homes and hotels. and moved to higher ground. on the island of oahu drivers are lining up at gas stations to figure up their tanks. the first tsunami waves are expected to hit the islands around 6 a.m. pacific time. >> we heard about the tsunami

so trying to get gassed up and being prepared before anything really happened. better to be safe than sorry. >> the japan earthquake and the one in hawaii are probably not related. hawaii has been hit by a string of small quakes recently because of volcanic activity. time no 4: 44, news from around the bay area including a daring stunt that sent a student to the hospital leaving his friends traumatized. >> plus, a warning for bart riders. watch your stuff. who is behind a rash of robberies. ,, ,, 3q

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these are live pictures from tokyo where they are trying to recover right now from an 8.9 earthquake that hit about 9:46 pacific time last night. it happened in the afternoon

there, 2:46 japan time. the number of fatalities is sketchy. it's hard to get information because the entire country is devastated. it was centered around the city of sendai which is in the northeastern area of japan north of the island there. it happened off the water. it's a major, major city over a million people live there. big agriculture. the country is paralyzed. up to 60 people have died. but those numbers, if you saw this big wave of water engulf that city, it's incredible video. let's go to lawrence karnow. we are going to have some issues of our own here in the bay area around 8 a.m. >> yeah. we are all awaiting now a tsunami warning that's been issued along much of the west coast really all the way up into washington down to point conception. we are looking at wave heights of 2 feet. i know that doesn't sound like a lot, folks, but we are not

talking your typical wave. this is where the water is going to rise, remember, it is shooting across the pacific right now at about 600 miles an hour so there is a ton of energy as the waves come on shore. the arrival time in hawaii about 5:07. they are expecting larger waves there. at crescent scene, 7:23 this morning, golden gate at about 8:08. as we wake up around the bay area we are looking at the possibility of flooding. they have begun some evacuation in the pacifica area in the linda mar valley as we are looking at larger waves moving in there. looks like this will move onshore a little later on this morning so if you live in some of the coastal sections, move to some higher ground. now, looks like this will continue to affect the coastline for quite some time. this is not your typical wave. so we can expect it to last a good five to 15 minutes. you are going to see that surge of water onshore. so here's all the warnings along the coastline. you can see all the way newspaper washington, down along the west coast, into san francisco, all the way into

washington. what we are watching for, too, is that a lot of this really has to do with the topography on the coastline so once of the water moves out of the deep water and is affected by the beds of the ocean, the shallowness of of the beds right along the coastline, that's going to make a big difference on where the folks could season flooding there. if you live right near the coastline, folks, move away from the water's edge and wait for the system to pass. these are dangerous. we'll have more information throughout the morning. we'll have an idea howing about the tsunami will be as it moves on shore in hawaii in the next half hour. in the meantime, let's talk weather around the bay area. we have partly cloudy skies, temperatures in the 40s and 50s. this afternoon, mostly sunny skies, 50s and 60s. in the afternoon, 60 in livermore, 62 san jose, and

about 63 degrees in the napa area. partly cloudy saturday, maybe a chance of some rain late in the day, most of that well to the north. better chance of some showers as we head in towards sunday. monday and tuesday unsettled and possibly wet. let's check traffic with gianna. >> thank you, lawrence. and obviously we are keeping a very close eye along the coast. lawrence has been talking about, it's been all over the news this morning the tsunami warning in effect. they have shut down the great highway between lincoln and sloat until midday today. so avoid it. the great highway has been shut down as a precaution between lincoln and sloat. we are keeping a close eye on the pacifica area especially linda mar, highway 1, linda mar boulevard, all those areas to monitor the congestion where some of the evacuation area is. right now highway 1 is checking in with no problems again but we'll continue to watch that again this morning. the rest of the peninsula problem-free. 280 slight delays on the

southbound side just as you work out of the daly city area. golden gate bridge checking in problem-free. off to a good start. no accidents through this portion. we did have a couple of morning trouble spots 10. 1 at 237, tow truck just cleared this accident off the road 101 at 237. slight delays on the westbound side of 237 through sunnyvale. if you are headed on north 101 at delong, we have an accident now moved out of the right lane over to the right shoulder. there were reports of some slight delays approaching the scene. not affecting the southbound side looking good again all the way towards the golden gate bridge. no troubles there. the rest of the bay area bridges problem-free. here's a live look at the bay bridge. it's friday light. the metering lights are off. only 18 minutes from the carquinez bridge to the maze. clear across the upper deck into san francisco. we do have first reports of a new problem eastbound at san mateo bridge, just before the toll plaza an accident reported doesn't look like it's blocking any lanes. they may have pushed it over to the right shoulder and it's the noncommute direction so not a problem and a live look at the san mateo bridge where you can see traffic moving

very nicely in both directions. of course, we'll continue to monitor the coastal areas very closely this morning and you can always get the latest updates on our radio partners it remember our radio partners, kcbs 740-am and 106.9-fm. >> thank you. we are watching other bay area headlines. a teenaged boy who jumped off the golden gate bridge is now recovering with minor injuries. dozens of students from windsor high school were sightseeing yesterday when a 17-year-old junior acted impulsively. he climbed on the railing, took off his jacket and jumped 200 feet to the water below. he landed next to a surfer who amazingly rescued the boy and paddled him ashore. the teen is now at san francisco general hospital. a $20,000 reward is now offered to catch a killer in oakland. 33-year-old marko mendoza was shot in front of his girlfriend and her sister wednesday night on the east side of lake merritt when they were f lake merritt when they getting out of their car. the shooting was the result of a botched robbery attempt.

robbers on bart are targeting electronic devices. bart police say the crimes are happening all over the bart system. the suspect looks for people sitting near the door, grab the goods and then leave the train just as the doors are closing. bart officials are advising passengers to guard their cell phones, laptops and ereaders. there is also an increase in robberies of electronics on muni. 4:53. daylight savings time goes into effect on sunday at 2 a.m. so before you go to bed on saturday night, adjust your clocks and watches forward one hour. most electronic devices change to daylight saving time automatically. the switch can often disrupt people's sleep schedules, though. that's mostly because of the extra hour of light in the evening and the prolonged darkness in the morning. time now is 4:53. coming up, the tsunami warning in effect for california this morning plus the latest on those evacuations in pacifica. and the tsunami that swept

away everything in its path in japan after the country's biggest earthquake in recorded history. it's all coming up.

is unbelieveable. japan is reeling from a magnitude eight-point-nine ake...

that unleashed this 13- foot tsunami. and this morning the destruction just unbelievable, japan reeling from a magnitude 8.9 earthquake that unleashed a 13-foot tsunami wall of water and this morning, california under a tsunami warning, as well. good morning, it is friday, march 11, 2011. i'm frank mallicoat. >> i'm elizabeth wenger. time now is 4:56. in just a few minutes from now, hawaii is expected to see its very first tsunami wave. it is about 3 a.m. there and people have been scrambling to get to higher ground. let's check with lawrence karnow right now for the latest on the tsunami warning and i understand, we are watching hawaii because what happens there could happen here. >> absolutely. from a scientific standpoint -- we have an idea of what the tsunami might be just by the size of the earthquake and what we saw the displacement on the ocean floor was but now we have to see what happens. we are waiting for hawaii.

that will hit there at 5:07. they are expecting a bad tsunami there as we'll see some big time waves moving in. here on the west coast, this is what we are waiting. we're awaiting about a two-foot tsunami expected to move into crescent city about 7:23, golden gate 8:08. they started evacuations in linda mar and pacifica. there is a sand berm at the front of the valley. beyond that on the other side it looks like a lot of those homes built below sea level so should that tsunami come on larger than expected and breach that berm, there is a possibility -- a possibility that those homes could be flooded. that's unknown right now. so we are waiting to see what happens in hawaii so we get a better idea of what kind of tsunami we are dealing with. so to be safe, move to higher ground especially along the west coast. we are seeing what looks like a pretty good tsunami moving in a little later on. keep in mind this is not your

typical wave. this is going to come on at 2 feet. doesn't sound like a lot but there's a lot of energy behind that and what you get is you get a piling up of the waves as they begin to approach the coastline. watching out from washington to point conception to the bay area as the waves move on shore. once it moves out of the deep water it gets affected by the coastal area. a lot of the topography under the ocean water will have different effects along the coast. you get the lift of the waves towards the coast and you could have significant flooding in some parts. right now we don't expect that to happen but stay away from the water's edge. if evacuations warnings have been given in your area, don't be brave, time to move away. this thing is expected to come onshore at 8:00. you want to be away from the coast. once that moves by the all clear will be given and we can head back. that's the latest from here. we'll be right back.

>> a tsunami warning is in effect over the entire west coast from british columbia down to the mexican border. waves could hit san francisco around 8:00 this morning. christin ayers is live along the coast at pacifica. i'm just told christin is not available right now but we'll get to her in just a moment. all right. well, with the tsunami warning looming overhead, san francisco officials are taking early precautions. as gianna told us earlier, the great highway has now been shut down. let's go to anne makovec with some advice for people who are living along the coast. anne, what are you seeing? i guess we are not going to anne? [ pause ] this is a breaking situation so we have reporters all over the bay area but -- >> it's tough to get them up and live but we will in short order. but here's what we are talking about right here. japan just keeps getting rocked by aftershocks after the largest earthquake in the country's history. the number of reported deaths keeps rising from the quake and a series of