a tsunami watch is not as severe as a tsunami warning. we want to go to robert lyles who is monitoring the coverage. these are amazing pictures half way around the world. we are getting them live. entire cities are being inundated by water. >> you are watching tsunami waves. they swept into the city, where it is already 4:00 in the afternoon. now television cameras were rolling as those waves swept in from what is now an 8.8 magnitude quake. these waves cars, trucks, houses, even buildings. we stay live with these images. let me offer you background information. japan's agency is warning that a tsunami as high as 20 feet could strike the coast near miagi, which is closest to the epicenter. offer you perspective on the raw power of this 8.8 quake. it is 240 miles from tokyo and still buildings shook violently in that city. workers poured on to the street. there are confirmed sitings of buildings on fire. we saw a little bit of that at the top of our show and huge smoke plumes. let me offer some clarification. japanese meteorologists are ca

the pacific tsunami warning center has issued a tsunami warning not just for japan, where a tsunami hasdy struck. you can see some of the damage so far in miyagi prefecture in the sendai area but also for russia, marcus island, the northern mariana, guam, wake island and taiwan. for those just tuning in and living anywhere close to the coastal areas of russia, marcus island, northern marianas, guam, wake island and taiwan, please do not go near the waters. move to higher ground as soon as possible. you're watching nhk world and a major earthquake hit japan friday afternoon. this happened about an hour and 15, 20 minutes ago. japan's meteorological agency says the earthquake measured 8.4. the agency issued a tsunami warning for japan's pacific coast. in northern japan tsunami waves of up to 4 meters were observed soon after the quake. the agency is warning the tsunami could be between 6 and 10 meters. you're seeing some of the tsunami damage so far in miyagi prefecture in the sendai area where some of the homes and farms have been flooded when the tsunami went upstream a river. according

pacific tsunami warning center has extended the area for tsunami warnings l and the tsunami has already struck this area some of the cars there plunging into the water p.m. tsunami affecting this area just about few hundred kilometer north of tokyo. >> we heard this broadcast mentioning the after shock that are still rattling their studio in tokyo. and we know there was, there has been one of 7. 4, 6.3, 6.4 so it is going to continue that way. david from the u.s. gs in menlo park says folks can expect for the next several days to have many after shock following this earthquake in japan. >> days weeks and even months after shock not of this magnitude but they will have a great deal of shaking over the fix few hours to be sure. which only complicates rescue effort and freighten people even more. this is live picture that you are looking at. nhk has been on the air since this happened. really it was about 10:grave our time 2 and a half hours ago this 8 point any -- 8.9 hit 240 miles roughly from tokyo and produced just tremendous, tremendous force and damage. first the shaking of course fo

that really has nothing too with the tsunami. the tsunami surge that moved into monterey bay and the crescent city imnated by the quake happens once in 10 years. heading toward south america where those waves are now just arriving. for us the wave we got a little bit of an offshoot here and came over the pacific. an extraordinary day. let's show you some pictures from today. because in my time doing this on television and doing a part of newsrooms. i've never seen anything like this. it's a rare sight to see a tsunami caught on video tape. you don't see it that often, especially in santa cruz harbor. for a time today we were seeing storm surges or tsunami surging going up the harbor. it went on, it wasn't one wave it was numerous waves as we went through the afternoon hours. we even had claudine wong out in the golden gate bridge in san francisco. with the water tide going out you were watching water swept in. really a spectacular day in bay area coast history. >>> the tsunami has taken a human toll here in the west coast. the co

indonesian tsunami and earthquake there.hat was a 9.1 for recall accounts. what do you have to say about this one? >> there were a few particulars about the sumatra quake on december 26th. they were a little different. but this happened in the water. it was shallow. and the energy created what we are now seeing as a very, very strong impact along the coast of japan. most notably near the city of sendai. >> okay. and sendai, we know, faces the pacific. definitely one of the larger cities in japan. so, what do you think we can be expecting to see in comparison to that indonesian tsunami? >> well, the indonesian tsunami was epic. the one that we're seeing in japan is nowhere near as big. but due to the coastal population along japan, it is going to have just devastating impact, as we have seen from many of the videos that are coming out now. >> and let me ask you this, too. we know that there are tsunami watches and warnings in other parts of the world. countries like russia, mexico, chile, peru, also in the state of hawaii. wh

this tsunami warning is enormous. it stretches from the washington/oregon border all the way down to santa barbara. look back here behind me, of course, the iconic golden gate bridge. down below it the water always churning up, even on a regular day, but as we head into the next two hours we are expecting what we call this wave action to increase the heights to about possibly two to four feet higher than normal levels. so will this cause major flooding? we do not think so as this point. are there evacuations in the bay area? not right now, but as we heard from earlier reports in crescent city they are evacuating those regions and the beaches are also closed. yes, while we are out at the beach this morning, we are prepared to take shelter and seek it immediately if needed be. but you do not need to be heading out here to the beaches. this is the kind of force underneath the ocean that you just cannot see, that if you want to head out to surf or get in the water and say, i want to experience this, that is the kind of pu

tsunami warning in the bay area. what time and what size is the tsunami waves?>> caller: to put it in context wheat expected rise at about 8:00 a.m. it will be around 7 m it will happen around low tide, the reality is the water rise will be less than our normal high tide. >> mark: we're fortunate our way because of the timing of the tides. i know geography plays a big part in the spiriis. we heag crescent city the waves are supposed to be up to 7 ft.. >> caller: it's my understanding they are evaluating. it is incredibly prudent that they do that. we are looking at the modeling. >> mark: we know why he has evaluated the hotels around the beach. what do you know about what is to hit whole why right now? >> caller: i've been consumed about what is expected in california. >> mark: we have had ocean beach closed is this just precautions'? >> caller: we ask the park service said they agreed to close down the beaches. we closed the great highway as a precaution. just because the event brings out people who want come watch at the beach. we don't want congestion in the

getting new data that it's the tsunami is now ten meters that's the updated report of the tsunami is now ten meters and the whole of the pacific is on a tsunami watch the first wave has reached russia's karylle i listed north which is reportedly around three meters high. ok well we'll have more news for you and later this hour are two special reports on the hardships in hebron but first let's have a look at the latest business with. but i welcome to business news here on c.n.n. we start with our top story a powerful earthquake in japan is likely to affect the country's fragile economic recovery and. that could start it's already twice the size national g.d.p. now let's cross live to cabo head of sales capital group to discuss what's needed to help. japan's economy get over this and effect worldwide hello angus thanks for joining the program now how much will the tragedy impact about recovery i think. well it's no idea of them of course is this is a time when the global economy is facing a lot of challenges we're facing the sovereign debt crisis in europe we're facing the crisis in no

of course tsunami watch for hawaii. he just responded, i've heard reports of gas stations on the west side having long lines already. so that's how my friends in hawaii are reacting to this earthquake in japan and a possible tsunami. that's what we're seeing on twitter and from my friends. >> are you saying that all communication is down in tokyo in terms of phone lines? ? >> she says right now the phone lines are spotty. she can call sometimes and other times she'll call someone and then the line goes dad. >> what about tv coverage? are they seeing tv coverage of damag damage? >> yes they have electricity and actually watching tv. most of them watching on their computers so they are getting information from the outside but right now the land lines and the cell phone lines they're down. >> so really their moefd communication is through facebook, twitter and then through online communication. >> great, thank you very much, george. bill ellsworth with the usgs has been kind enough to join us tonight and educate us all fro

this has generated a tsunami warping for russia, japan, this is sent out by the pacific tsunami warning center. the pacific tsunami warning center japan russia guam are unthe warning. the watch is in effect for fill peerngs indonesian and we look at hawaii that was just issued for the tsunami. they are saying that they have taken a look at sea level readings and tsunami may have been generated as far how pwiingt is and whether it will reach still unclear. sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated. watch issued for hawaii. no watches and warnings for california or the west coast. >> thanks very much. we have on the phone with us now harold hammond with the menlo county fire department. harold are you there. >> yes i can hear you. thanks for coming on. you have had considerable experience in dealing with emergencies of this nature. what do you expect is going to happen in japan? >> well, first thing that they are going to need to do is get some level of situational awareness of what it is that they have going on. how big it is. how many areas are affected and obviously ultimatel

there is a tsunami watch in effect right now for hawaii because with a quake this big those tsunamis can affect distant coastlines. magnitude 8.8, this is where it hit just off the coast, the dent 2.2 miles. you need a pretty good size earthquake to cause a tsunami. think of putting your hand in the bathtub. if you shove your water down, it sends the water out in waves. just the same with an earthquake. we saw it near the epicenter and it's spreading from there. now we're watching the coasts of russia and as far away as hawaii. so 8.8 magnitude earthquake, very intense. let's look right here at the quake magnitudes. you'll notice this one is off the scale. doesn't happen very often. go all the way down to the bottom of screen, though. major earthquake series damage up to 7.9. this quake was originally reported as a 7.6, hit a little over an hour ago and again we do have a note from the usgs a tsunami was generated from this quake and we are watching as far away as the coast of hawaii. if those waves hit at hawaii, they would hit at 3:00 in the morning local hawaii time. so again the

the power of a tsunami in action. and coming up at 10:30, the moment it hit and the devastation still being tallied tonight. >>> four california counties are under a state of emergency tonight after the japan quake generate add tsunami that reached the west coast of the united states killing at least one person and causing millions of dollars in property damage. the tsunami that roared east and south from the island struck hawaii in the early morning hours and eventually reached the west coast of the mainland united states. the surge was moving at 500 miles per hour. it took ten hours for it to cross 5,000 miles of ocean and reach the coast of california. >> this video shows the tsunami scramming into santa cruz harbor. >> local wine maker took this video with his iphone. it shows the raw power of the ocean. this was the first surge that hit santa cruz harbor at 8:00 this morning. santa cruz county is one of the four california counties now under that state of emergency. governor brown issued the emergency declaration

our coverage has been the tsunami, the earthquake that began in japan and the tsunami headed this way. >> let's talk about half moon bay a little south of where terry is. people are told they will not be allowed to take their vessels out this morning. the harbor master has been going around to people that live in house boats to alert them to the tsunami warning. he's putting up police tape to keep voters -- boaters from entering. see if they can get a better read on the height of the tsunami. 2, 3 feet expected maybe. residents along the san mateo coastline have been contacted as you heard by e-emergency personnel and asked to get to higher ground. the county set up several shelters for those people and you can see the five on the screen, the five setup right now at local high schools. that's also on our website, abc7news.com. >> yeah, let's take a look at those shelters, atascadero high, half moon bay high, terra nova high, those are all set to open about 20 minutes. let's make it clear here, with the tsunami warning nobody has been saying we expect major damage here in california bu

under tsunami warnings right now. waves triggered by the quick expected to reach the west coast in just about an hour. >> let's go to bill weir on the santa monica coast. right now. waves expected to hit about 8:00 pacific time. >> reporter: good morning, about 8:23 to be exact the waves should hit here in southern california. but there's cautious optimism that the waves will be measured in inches rather than feet. they're closing down beaches from orange county. and things intensify as we go north. the city of san francisco activated their alarms in the wee hours last night. but it's really more weighing on the minds of southern californians as a perfect day begins as to what a devastating earthquake looks like. of course, tokyo, one of the more stringent building codes in the world. a lot of people in los angeles care very much about how much that protected them going forward. there's a nuclear power plant just south of us here. that will probably weigh heavier on the minds of californians today than any threat of t

gsm he's monitoring best. >> this is the tsunami wave field, we will be getting tsunami waves on our coastline for hours and hours more. perhaps it affects some of the harbors, that will go into this evening. >>pam: stay with kron 4 for continuing coverage of the tsunami surge in the japanese earthquake. we have slide shows of the damage on our web site www.kron4.com. >>brian: the tsunami warning from earlier today now downgraded to an advisory. this covers the entire california coast. the worst of the surge as this happens this morning with the highest waves that does not mean the threat is over. in combination with high tide, as we've been talking about there still could be dangerous search for this evening. that's why the advisory remains in effect, still the beaches and the coastlines, harbors all still ounsafe as the threat remains. the highest surge around port are we not around 8.7 ft., over 8 ft. through crescent city, san francisco with the surge of 2.1 ft. above sea level. these are pretty impressive surges that are coming on shore today. that will stick around for the even

you can see the tsunami surges coming. wave after wave, giving the normally calm waters of the santa cruz harbor a this rash -- a thrashing. the biggest sunks hit at about 11:20 a.m., breaking the massive wooden docks, snapping lines and tossing hundreds of boats like toys in a turbulent bathtub. what is it like to watch this? >> this is devastating. it's really devastating and it keeps getting worse. >> reporter: at least three boats were sunk. many more were damaged. crowds of hundreds gathered on higher ground to watch the incredible show of nature's strength and man's feeble efforts to cope. >> one of the stupidest things i've done in a long time. >> reporter: in between surges, some boat owners went down to the docks to retie their vessels. some barely escaped the next wave. >> i put extra lines on my sailboat over here. and then i heard everybody going oh! and then i looked back and saw this wave coming. >> reporter: then, as quickly as they came in, the surges repeated, transforming the harbor into a fast-moving mud

a tsunami warning..rthquake in es - could hit >>> people are getting away from the california coast right now. a tsunami warning in effect after a powerful earthquake rocks japan. the waves could hit here in about 90 minutes. >> evacuation orders were ordered in hawaii overnight as the tsunami sped across the pacific at hundreds of miles an hour. the first waves hit the islands just about an hour ago. they reported a tsunami at least three feet high on oahu and kauai. more waves are expected and they could be bigger. >> quite a friday. welcome, it is march 11. i'm frank mallicoat. >> i'm elizabeth wenger. it any does have the morning off. >>> time now is 6:35. sydnie has the morning off. >>> tsunami waves could hit santa cruz in less than an hour. right now evacuation already under way in that area, as well. cassandra treasure jones joins us live from santa cruz county with the latest. good morning, cassandra. >> reporter: good morning. i'm out here by the wharf and they have shut down the wharf. i have

tsunami. japan for harbor. that's where you notice them the most because harbors have a larger open mouth and tend to funnel in just like a funnel. so all the energy comes in and bounces off the walls and tends to get amplified there. that is why all the damages happen in open coastlines. >> this hit at low tide. very low tide. if we would have seen a 6, 7- foot tide which we have here we very well could have seen other places inundated. >> this is a minus tide. not a low tide. >> what caught a lot of people sort of off guard. many of us have seen these things, it wasn't a big wave like we are used to seeing right at the ocean it was more that surge and undertow that was so -- and it is so strong. undertows are very strong. >> absolutely. it is that transfer of energy sending all that moisture, all that water, that energy across the pacific and, yes, it is not like your typical wave that hit 2 feet along the coastline. we are talking a magazines of water that lifts up and surges onshore. we saw what a 2-foot, 3

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 ther

the bigger tsunami it was in japan. by the time it gets here we're talking about a rise in the water. i think his office has been doing a great job and keeping us posted so we know the level that this rise is too. it is more at this point almost like a scientific thing to look at, this wave is travelling 5 madrid miles an hour. we're amazed at how fast it gets here, water will rise to a high tide level at best. >> george: we're lucky that it occurs at the time of low tide. in nearly morning hours there were concerns about public transit there was some concern that bart might suspend service, they won't. golden gate transit service, the golden gate ferries will not be affected. neither will a higher rate varies. it will run as scheduled. no impact to traffic on the golden gate bridge. in fact the only traffic impact besides the closure of the great highway is that we're getting word of heavy traffic on highway 92. because of a lot of traffic that is evaluating the cosign. it is the heavier than usual east bound line on h

no es un paÍs que tiene tradiciÓn de tsunami, no como pudiera ser en nicaragua que tuvieron un tsunamiimos fue en el terremoto de chile que tuvimos otra alerta de tsunami y funcionÓ muy bien y la voz se corriÓ rÁpidamente y afortunadamente no pasÓ nada. >> pudimos ver una buena reacciÓn de las autoridades y de los popodradores. pobladores. >> vamos a conectarnos con ricardo arrambarrÍa. en nuestros estudios. firmó un decreto por 60 días o ordena la evacuación hasta conocer los resultados, pasada las 17 horas las 5 de la tarde, cuando sufre el embate del tsunami, el presidente de ecuador dice que se proceda evacuar la zona costera de las islas galápago. durante este período, las fuerzas armadas de los operativos, mientras tanto en méxico, las costas también ha sido la de ofrecer ayuda la cancillería ya envió su solidaridad, el equipo de rescate mexicano que ha trabajado en un sinnúmeros de terremotos y están alistándose para partir a japón para ayudar en ese operativo de búsqueda por cierto pudiendo evitar el tsunami, hay 20 países en alerta, informó con chile, colombia, perú, en sudamé

japan after that devastating 8.9 earthquake and tsunami. >> tsunami warning here but what about the wave heights and the weather? >>> good morning, i'm jade hernandez. we spoke to residents in the bay area about the tsunami warning. we are live along the coast of the pacifica. we have a live report coming up for you. >>> good morning, thank you for waking up with us i'm pam cook. >> and i'm dave clark partly sunny friday march 11th. this morning we are following the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that hit japan followed by a 23- foot tsunami. there is a tsunami warning for the entire pacific coast including in the bay area. a small wave is expected to hit here just after 8:00 this morning. it hit 80 miles off the coast of japan at 9:46:00 p.m. our time last night. it was 2:46:00 p.m. in japan. the tsunami that followed swept away boats, cars, homes, and people. the official death toll right now stands at 60 people dead with an additional 56 people missing and we expect that number to grow. >> we are keeping an eye on hawaii as they brace for that tsunami. this is video from last night on awaho

shortly after tsunami sirens went off, the pacific warning center in hawaii issued a tsunami warning for hawaii and the entire pacific coast including for us here in california. the first waves are expected to hit hawaii sometime during this hour. in the philippines. >> in the philippines thousands are moving to higher grounds this morning. just hours ago they ordered evacuations of coastal communities following that huge quake in japan. the waves crashing into the beaches are expected to be at least 15 feet or higher. now the epicenter of last nights quake was 80 miles east of cindie city. i want to show you some video from inside a billing the moment that earthquake hit. still assessing the damage this morning but a major power outage and gas leaks were reported in the city. following theet quake then we are hearing reports of 20-30- foot tsunami hitting the city port. it flooded homes and submerged the airport runway. >> seismologist in the bay area are monitoring the quake in japan. kraig debro is joining us live. what are the experts saying so far? >> basically it's a wait and s

that tsunami -- the tsunami hazard astill in effect. the sign says it all. tsunami hazard zone. you wouldn't know it necessarily though by what we are seeing out here on the beach. if you take a look over here, check it out. people just kind of hanging out near the water with their dogs taking walks near the beach. this is an area that was under evacuation orders earlier today. many people evacuated here. they grab what they could, packed up and took off. and fortunately, the flooding and damage that hit other areas never materialized here. here's what residents saw. we time lapsed video. there was a wave pattern on linda mar beach and all over the bay area, causing the waves to recede and fill back in over and over. it was such a spectacle that dozens of people, many evacuees, came out armed with cameras, binoculars and cell phones just to watch it happening from a safe overlook setback from the coast. residents told me they weren't just impressed with mother nature, but also with the way authorities executed the evacuation. emergency calls went out, signs quickly went up point

tsunami hit other areas including tokyo. tsunami are reaching over 10 meters. tsunamis several times higher than forecast could hit in some places. >> you have been listening to a japanese television station, english japanese television station talking about what is happening over the last several hours. there we are going to listen in now to our cbs affiliate in hawaii because that tsunami warning is obviously up there and is supposed to hit around 5:00 so in short order there. let's listen in on hawaii. >> if we are going to see anything it might be from one of those cameras. >> so we are about 3 minutes away from the first arrival of the tsunami wave to hawaii. as we look at the water at diamond head lookout and we look at the waves there, i know tim sakahara said earlier he noticed some activity out there and ben, what about you? are you noticing anything right now from this shot? >> nothing particularly unusual. but then again, we are still a ways out. once again, this is live look at the kapahulu area. that's a police helicopter shining their light on the

the tsunami that followed. waves poured over the coastline, swamping everything in front of them. and this road split in two when the quake hit. and there is a huge fire burning in an oil refinery. a man picks through destruction all around him. remarkable images coming out of japan. we want to update the late-breaking development autos officials say they cannot yet reach a town where as many as 300 people have been killed. >> it's believed a thousand people are injured. japan had more than 50 after shocks since yesterday. >> one of the largest was a 7.1 magnitude, larger than the 6.9 loma prieta quake. >> the government declared a first-ever state of emergency at a nuclear planlt. and there are concerns for other plants in the country as well. >> world news is going to continue this coverage at 6:00. thanks for joining us. i'm cheryl jenning autos i'm dan ashley. >> from all of us we'll see you again in half an hour.

the tsunami warning will affect bart. they told us earlier that the service between oakland and bailey city stations could be canceled. that's because those trains run underground and underwater. we'll check in with tara. we're also keeping an eye on chopper 2. cars backed up snaking along the roads. this is skyline boulevard. traffic is jammed as far as you can see. an incredible picture in san mateo. we'll keep tabs. >> looks like some of the cars have moved up to higher ground. >>> sprurks jap -- of course japanese-americans are keeping an eye on it. kraig debro has more. >> reporter: from what i've learned trying to get ahold of my-in-laws, some of the and lines are down or people are being told to stay off of them. we've been monitoring japanese tv. we're getting pictures that we normally wouldn't get because of the way the feeds work, but this is live tv in jay pafnlt the al. next is the west coast of the continental united states. we're expecting small waves. damage from the earthquake in japan is widespread. this

in the tsunami warning area. we're talking about the tsunami advisory areas. again, we're continuing to track this. these are not precise times. we're going to have to keep monitoring and, again, we're talking about more than one wave possibly. >> definitely, as hawaii indicates, clearly, al, we'll get the rest of your forecast in a little while. for now, the latest on a situation in japan where hundreds are dead and missing. ann has details. >> here are the latest numbers. in japan, 110 people confirmed dead. reports of up to 300 bodies being found in sendai. those numbers are only expected to grow. scientists say this quake 8.9 on the richter scale is the fifth biggest jolt in the world since 1900. there has been 80 aftershocks alone felt in japan since the quake first struck at mid-afternoon. it was centered some 81 miles east of the city of sendai and the northeast section of the country where some 1 million people left. the tremors were felt as far away as tokyo, some 230 miles south of sendai and disrupted a government meeting. there are fires up and dow

and the eventual tsunami in japan.olice have now found between 200 and 300 bodies in the northeastern coastal region of that country. that is where that massive tsunami wave, you see it in this picture, it just completely swept away villages and roadways. nearly 350 are confirmed missing. that 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck just north of tokyo. and to put it in perspective, seismologists say that quake is 900 times stronger than the 6.9 quake that hit loma prieta in 1959. we have been telling you that many areas have a tsunami warning. 20 aftershocks followed the initial 8.9 quake in japan. the strongest so far has been a 7.1 in magnitude. >>> you mentioned the tsunami in hi that hit there a couple hours ago, but they could still see the effects. this is not just kind of a quick wave, it is something that may take hours to move through. the pacific tsunami warning in kauai was the first area to be hit. waves were three feet high on oahu and kauai. people had several hours to evacuate and they gave the evacuation order

the tsunami is imminent. but what kind of damage it's going to create, it's not looking like that's going to be very serious. coastal flooding, some issues on the beaches and low-lying areas, marinas and harbors. but the main problem is going to be just the repeated hitting of this surge of energy if that does indeed materialize. we are expecting an initial surge and then a series of about 3 to 5 surges to follow. the good news is that the energy generally drops off when it gets inside the bay. that's why things here in san francisco are looking less serious than, say, down in pacifica, where we have been reporting from all morning, as well. but police keeping people away from the area. they are saying if you live in the sunset or richmond districts, which are very close to the coast here, you'ree fine. no need to evacuate, just stay off the beaches. police have been patrolling the great highway making sure no cars or pedestrians are getting in. we have seen a couple of stray joggers but generally very quiet.

>>> tsunami waves are different. they come out and go out at a wave every ten, 20, 30 or 40 minutes. what happens in a harbor situation is sometimes one way it comes in and before the wave gets a chance to go back out again or all the water gets a chance to go back out another one comes in. so you get the build up that occurs. so really a lot of times the problem is inundation. in other words, areas that get flooded out because of tsunami, not because they have a huge wall of water coming in on it. so that's really the problem for people on land. as far as the boats, they can get rocked around for even a tsunami wave a little more than a meter or so. just because of the volume of water that's contained in that long period wave. that's why a one meter wave or a cc1:five-foot tsunami wave causes a lot more problems than a three-foot regular ocean wave, just because of the pure share of volume in that wave. >> if you are just joining us, we are talking to the tsunami center in hawaii. if i am watching this, mr. cc1:: ko

tsunami can last 10 to 12 hours. just because the initially wave may have been low doesn't mean you need to let your guard down. it could build as the water sits on top of each other moving across the pacific ocean. >> we can mention those waves move very fast. it may seem lining such a huge wall of water couldn't move that fast but 500 mph, it destroys everything in its path. >> we've been talking about the effect of commuters in the bay area as we prepare for the tsunami waves to hit us starting about 8:00 this morning. so bart waiting to see if they're going to altar service. for now what's happening in terms of your buses up there, the ferry service and also the golden gate bridge. >> hi, good morning, everybody. we're planning on running regular service at this time. we're obviously monitoring closely, the coast guard, et cetera. we are planning on running regular service on our ferries as well as the bus system. our ferries can certainly handle it. it's a minus tide. so we're pretty confident all will go well t

the power of a tsunami in action. and coming up at 10:30, the moment it hit and the devastation still being tallied tonight. >>> four california counties are under a state of emergency tonight after the japan quake generate add tsunami that reached the west coast of the united states killing at least one person and causing millions of dollars in property damage. the tsunami that roared east and south from the island struck hawaii in the early morning hours and eventually reached the west coast of the mainland united states. the surge was moving at 500 miles per hour. it took ten hours for it to cross 5,000 miles of ocean and reach the coast of california. >> this video shows the tsunami scramming into santa cruz harbor. >> local wine maker took this video with his iphone. it shows the raw power of the ocean. this was the first surge that hit santa cruz harbor at 8:00 this morning. santa cruz county is one of the four california counties now under that state of emergency. governor brown issued the emergency declaration

>>rob: people understand tsunami now. the bridge off to our left, there are hundreds of people in there today. >> i think so, were proud at our radio station to use any kind of a situation where there is a power outage, earthquake, flood any kind of an unusual situation switcher programming and do what we call emergency mode where we open it up to the colors. we become an emergency communication link. after the 1989 earthquake think we were the only radio station that was on the air for several hours after the earthquake. >> thank you michael for joining us. santa cruz remains a local state of emergency they said they will talk with congressman to get disaster declaration done here and federal money on board. right now the situation still uncertain here at the santa cruz yacht harbor the start pulling boats as soon as tomorrow morning. >>pam: our team coverage continues with kron 4 jeff bush to show more of the damage and problems created by the tsunami in santa cruz. >>jeff: it is been a crazy day and santa cruz. things

one >> darya: we were waiting for a wave generated by the tsunami. but this is not tsunami waves.rch. >> mark: it is the tsunami surge. i wonder if the physical layout of these two stocks have something to do with it. i wonder if there is a pendulum effect going in and out. especially when you hear six times it has surged in and out. it is the shape of these harbors. there wasn't earthquake in alaska and crescent city was devastated. crescent city was the one harbour prepared. their boats deciding to leave the harbor and be out in see. i don't know if as many people expected this damage. >> darya: but you talk about a bathtub the water sloshing back and forth. >> mark: that's right. we will keep watching as we see life put live footage. with the surge of water it has been difficult. the harbor master tried to stop boats from smashing into each other. >> darya: that was the first account of the number of boats. it's a far greater than what the authorities said. he said there was 15 or more boats the web with that.then went with it. du >> george: chp was surprised by the coast guard

>> this tsunami is a bit smaller than the indian ocean tsunami because the earthquake is a bit smaller. i mean, a tsunami happens because you have a massive earthquake on a huge fault that moves a large part of the sea floor up and the water that used to be there has to go somewhere else. >> couric: could this type of undersea earthquake happen along the united states coastline? >> there are two places in the united states where we have a similar type of fault that will also produce a big earthquake and a big tsunami. one is the aleutian arc around alaska and the other much more dangerously is the pacific northwest. there's one of these types of faults running all the way from cape mendocino in the south to the island of victoria in british columbia in the north. >> what can scientists in your view hope to learn from this event? >> this is going to be the best recorded earthquake ever. the japanese have spectacular instrumentation and i think we're going to learn a lot more about the fundamental nature of earthquakes. we're also going to be learning a lot about how buildings behave in

tsunami watch issued for hawaii.sandy is tracking that information for us very closely. what can you update us on. >> now that watch has been upgraded to a warning. as a matter of fact the pacific tsunami warning center has now issued a wide spread tsunami warning. it is in effect for japan, russia, we are talking about taiwan, guam, indonesian, hawaii is included. jaws slew of countries. nuss. el salvador. costa rica a-chile, sea levels readings are confirm ago tsunami has been generated. it's a series of waves. first wave may not be the largest in between one wave to the next it could vary from 5 minutes to about an hour. and of course the threat can last for hours. once again hawaii is under a tsunami warning now. this excludes california, oregon, bc and washington. we are not under a watch or warning but certainly all the other areas surrounding the pacific ocean and nearby sea under a tsunami warning. >> sandy this can obviously change too as this progresses we'll know more so we need to be aware of that right.

well kavin the tsunami waves have hit the u.s. mainland the u.s. west coast pacifically the states of oregon california and washington have been on high alert since early friday morning but the tsunami there did not cause any serious damage those were just strong waves are six feet high on average that's the height of a tall person evacuations nevertheless it been earlier ordered in parts of washington and oregon scientists acknowledge they overstated those threat but be friended their actions saying they took the proper steps and learned the lessons of the two thousand and four indonesian tsunami that killed thousands of people who didn't get enough warning the fears of tsunami causing any serious damage in the u.s. mainland really diminished after the waves hit the islands of hawaii this morning waves of about six feet again were recorded there again they're happy no reports of destruction there in hawaii roadways and beaches where am t. is the tsunami struck the state which it hours to prepare sirens sounded throughout the night and residents in

. >>> the tsunami from a massive 8.9 earthquake. it killed degrees -- hundreds of people. >> the quake causing problems, mostly santa cruz. boats broke loose. the water is moving just too fast. >> people in half moon bay took the warning to get to higher ground seriously. many drove up highway 92, a mass exodus created a traffic backup that looked like a parking lot on skyline. >> live pictures from sky 7 hd over santa cruz where it appears to be calm at this moment. but there is extensive damage to boats here and some of the docks as well. >> the latest developments now in our team coverage to the bay area's response to japan. live in santa cruz. >> well, there are several road closures around this area, kristen. also the beach boardwalk and wharf behind me are closed and the damage it mounting. take a look at this dramatic video from sky 7. we have had several tsunami surges come into the yacht harbor. the first before 8:00 this morning and the damage as you can see is pretty significant. at least five boats are sunk. many are sla

the tsunami impulses. this live picture showing the degree if you look down to the lower part of the screen. the pictures from today obviously across the pacific and to japan amazing. the pictures here, we've never really seen anything like this on live television where we had a tsunami move into the harbor like this. amazing day in santa cruz. lots of issues down with the boats. a tsunami warning is now a tsunami advisory. i suspect that will be dropped shortly adds well. when we come back we have weather to talk about as well. >>> the san mateo county is one of four counties on a state of emergency. the declaration makes state resources available now to those counties. >>> in just the last hour, the situation has changed in san francisco after a day on high alert. ktvu's david stevenson is live in the city where he received an update from emergency officials. >> reporter: we've spoken to county management officials inside this building, what they told us is a half an hour ago, state emergency efficients

fifty three countries now with a tsunami warning. there are also reports that the country's international airport is closed again as the official reports coming out of japan be cannot yet put a number on the casualties as well as the damage to infrastructure but we are seeing the events unfold the pictures coming in of what's currently happening there complexes are glazed right now an oil refinery there are fourteen industrial complexes of ways and still they are having difficulty reaching quake hit areas although the government has said they will be sending troops to aid the people who are currently stuck in those areas. well moving on to another developing story in there via the effects of your political turmoil there will be a fighting is picking up pace leaving the country's ravaged oil industry in the firing line and both sides are striving for total control of production but without damaging any repairable to get their way well as artie's exxon a board to reports importers might not care who supplies the oil so long as it keeps

how did the tsunami come this far? experts say that a 10-meter tsunami rushed up a river that was flowing in a straight line and did not lose momentum as it climbed up the mountain. they point out that tsunami measures are required at inlet areas also. >> in a tsunami this large it's very difficult to prevent damage, and even in the inland areas the tsunami will attack. therefore, people npt inland areas also have to plan evacuation routes and be prepared for such disaster. >> and now we take a look at lathe latest in business news. >> welcome to "newsline business." japan has asked trade partners not to impose any unfair import bans on farm produce due to radiation concerns. japanese delegates made the call ant informal meeting of the trade negotiation committee of the world trade organization on tuesday. the delegation told wto members that the japanese government is taking necessary measures, such as shipment bans on agricultural and dairy products with radioactive levels above recommended limits. the officials stre

caught in the grip of this tsunami, cars were pounded together in its wash. >> a tsunami coming in several tweaks. >> then, a second wave roared ashore, ripping up vessels and carrying away buildings. nothing was spared in its wake. out at sea, the turbulent watercreated a swirling mess. we still don't know the state of that vessel and its crew. the airport tarmac in sendai was covered in a muddy mess, while passengers looked for an escape. then the fires. flames shot up hundreds of feet high at the oil refinery and cars that were slated for export charred to smoky remnants. entire villages have been destroyed and before the cleanup can even begin, crews are still looking for survivors who's cries can be heard beneath the rubble. hundreds have been found dead. >> we see a pile. we have been looking for people, but we see nobody. >> the power is still out. phones are not working today. not only have a lot of people there lost everything, there are very few places to buy those basic supplies. today, people were lined up outside those very few operating stores stocking up on water and instant

letting them know there was a tsunami coming.ascinated and horrified by what they're watching in the santa cruz harbor. if the surge as were very powerful and began to knock around the many closely packed little boats there. the damage is huge has deferred. this a lot of damage boats under the water as well as what were seeing. they were just tossed around and crashing into each other. it was a mass. this is the scene, live. huge damage there. rob it is that santa cruz and in there all day. if what is happening rob? >>rob: as many as 100 boat or damaged your the yacht harbor, 20 we think are under water. the two most damaged areas that we know of right now i'm joined by rene. she is with the coast guard, let's start off with santa cruz. what can you tell us were hearing hundred boats may be 20 under water? >> what's the reports and hearings. were still assessing the situation but will continue to do that until we have for numbers. >>rob: we seen a lot of the situation here in santa cruz. how about the big picture in the northern

and then, round two, as the tsunami sirens wail. a foamy, furious wave comes roaring in at 500 miles an hour, with others lined up right behind it. the walls of water crash ashore with astonishing power, marauding across the flat japanese countryside, swallowing everything in the way. >> it looks like a tsunami has been engulfing the port. you're seeing live footage of a tsunami engulfing the port area in iwate prefecture. this is what's happening right as we speak. >> reporter: it builds into a toxic, treacherous soup of cars, boats and houses, some of them on fire. watch as this irresistible liquid invasion creates waterfalls of cars, rips this home right off of its foundation and destroys an entire village. to get a sense of the scale of this thing, check out this lone man on the back of a truck, seemingly so small against the onslaught just yards away. or look at this boat, stuck on the cusp of a massive whirlpool. or this ship, struggling to stay upright as the waves crash all around it. as of right now, the official toll of de

that devastating 8.9 earthquake and tsunami. we received this video moments ago. >>> a voluntary evacuation is in place. that is according to san mateo county office emergency management. we have a live report along the coast in pacifica. >>> good morning, to you welcome to friday it's march 11th i'm dave clark. >> and i'm pam cook. we want to go to our top story. the quake and tsunami in japan. it's effecting direct impact on the bay area this morning. emergency crews are now shutting down some bay area beaches and roads and up and down the coast of california. ktvu jade hernandez is in pacifica this morning with what is going on there. good morning, jade. >> reporter: good morning, we are at a pier in pacifica. we have been monitoring the water this morning. i spoke with someone art the san mateo office. a voluntary evacuation order is in place. that is west of highway one mainly because of the beaches there. also the voluntary evacuation order is in place for lind mar and half-moon bay. now we can show you right now this stre