The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued tsunami warnings along the U.S. West Coast following an underwater volcanic eruption Friday night.
The eruption near the island Kingdom of Tonga in the South Pacific set off a tsunami that will affect the entire West Coast. The Tonga Meteorological Services issued a tsunami warning for the archipelago, and data from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center detected waves just under 3 feet high.
The NWS in Portland, Seattle and the San Francisco Bay Area indicate just how widespread authorities expect the wave to be.
The tsunami alert has hit “advisory” level, which means waves up to 3 feet high and conditions in the water remain dangerous.
The most recent tsunami to hit the U.S. West Coast prior to this weekend occurred in 2011 following the incredible magnitude 9.0 earthquake that hit Japan. The resulting wave caused $100 million worth of damage to California ports and harbors, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Peter Aitken is a Fox News Digital reporter with a focus on national and global news.
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