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Haiti

Haiti: TSUNAMI MESSAGE NUMBER 3

NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI 2345 UTC TUE JAN 12 2010 THIS MESSAGE APPLIES TO COUNTRIES WITHIN AND BORDERING THE CARIBBEAN SEA...EXCEPT FOR PUERTO RICO AND THE VIRGIN ISLANDS.

... THE TSUNAMI WATCH IS CANCELLED ...

THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. ONLY NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE DECISIONS REGARDING THE OFFICIAL STATE OF ALERT IN THEIR AREA AND ANY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS ORIGIN TIME - 2153Z 12 JAN 2010 COORDINATES - 18.5 NORTH 72.5 WEST LOCATION - HAITI REGION MAGNITUDE - 7.1

EVALUATION

A TSUNAMI MEASURING 12 CM CREST-TO-TROUGH WAS RECORDED AT SANTO DOMINGO IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND A TSUNAMI LESS THAN 1 CM CREST-TO-TROUGH WAS RECORDED ON A DEEP OCEAN GAUGE IN THE EAST-CENTRAL CARIBBEAN. BASED ON THESE DATA THERE COULD HAVE BEEN DESTRUCTIVE TSUNAMI WAVES NEAR THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER BUT THERE IS NOT A THREAT TO COASTAL AREAS FURTHER AWAY. THEREFORE THE TSUNAMI WATCH ISSUED BY THIS CENTER IS NOW CANCELLED.

FOR ANY AFFECTED AREAS - WHEN NO MAJOR WAVES HAVE OCCURRED FOR AT LEAST TWO HOURS AFTER THE ESTIMATED ARRIVAL TIME OR DAMAGING WAVES HAVE NOT OCCURRED FOR AT LEAST TWO HOURS THEN LOCAL AUTHORITIES

CAN ASSUME THE THREAT IS PASSED. DANGER TO BOATS AND COASTAL STRUCTURES CAN CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS DUE TO RAPID CURRENTS. AS LOCAL CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE A WIDE VARIATION IN TSUNAMI WAVE ACTION THE ALL CLEAR DETERMINATION MUST BE MADE BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES. THIS WILL BE THE FINAL PRODUCT ISSUED BY THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.