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Pacific tsunami: Half the planet affected
Hawaii is looking at 6-foot waves — on top of the normal waves, mind you. That's a big surge. Arrival time just after 4 p.m. EST, 11 a.m. local. Hawaii is something of the gauge for all of the Pacific. You can't tell the size of the tsunami from what hits the coastline of Chile, because it's too close to the epicenter. It's certainly an expansive event — covering half the planet, and unfolding over the course of some 24 hours or so. Australia is on alert. Alaska has an advisory as well. this is a wave that will hit Antarctica and the Aleutians.

Here's what I was told this morning by Jenifer Rhoades, Tsunami Program Manager for the National Weather Service:

“Six feet is a lot. Tsunamis have a lot of force behind them... My best analogy for you is to think of a flash flood coming in with potentially very turbulent water. It could have debris in it. Six feet was some of the inundation heights for the Sumatra event in 2004. It's very significant and dangerous.”

From the NOAA website:

“Tsunamis can be dangerous waves that are not survivable. Wave heights are amplified by irregular shoreline and are difficult to forecast. Tsunamis often appear as a strong surge and may be preceded by a receding water level. Mariners in water deeper than 600 feet should not be affected by a tsunami. Wave heights will increase rapidly as water shallows. Tsunamis are a series of ocean waves which can be dangerous for several hours after the initial wave arrival. DO NOT return to evacuated areas until an all clear is given by local civil authorities.”

washingtonpostblog.com