Massive 8.8 magnitude quake strikes near Chile; tsunami warning issued for Hawaii

Map showing the epicenter of the massive 8.8 magnitude quake
that struck off the coast of Chile early Saturday morning. (USGS)
See a larger map below.

Update, 4:41pm MST - Aftershocks continue to rattle Chile as rescuers try to save those that may be buried under the ruble. Buildings have been turned to ruble, highway bridges collapse and roads buckled. The magnitude 8.8 quake that struck this morning will likely go down as a tie for the fifth largest quake since 1900. Click here for more details.

In Hawaii, the state remains under a tsunami warning for a while longer. It appears however that they will escape relatively unscathed. For a closer look at Hawaii’s history of tsunamis, please click here. 

Update, 12:12pm MST - Powerful aftershocks continue to rock Chile.  According to the U.S. Geological survey, more than 50 aftershocks of magnitude 5.0 or greater have struck since the initial magnitude 8.8 earthquake.  Details here.

President Barack Obama addressed the media and said that the United States stands ready to assist Chile as needed.  He urged residents of Hawaii to listen to local civil defense officials and heed all warnings.

Update, 11:50am MST - The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says the tsunami’s waves are expected to be at 8 feet when they arrive at the island of Hawaii. By the time it reaches Oahu the PTWC estimates heights of three feet.

Officials caution that while the heights themselves may not seem extraordinary, the run-up could inundate areas far inland. Further, predicting tsunami wave height is not exact and the first wave may not be the highest.

The arrival time for the tsunami has been updated:

• 11:05 AM - Hilo, Hawaii
• 11:26 AM - Kahului, Maui
• 11:37 AM - Honolulu
• 11:42 AM - Nawiliwili, Kauai

Update, 11:00am MST – At least 122 confirmed deaths have been reported in Chile. 10 people are reported missing on the island of Juan Fernandez. Two U.S. State Department personnel are unaccounted for at this time. President-elect Sebastian Pinera. "The number of victims could get higher."

Be sure to check our main page for new stories as they are posted. We have added some historical information about previous quakes near Chile and Hawaii’s tsunami history:

• Largest earthquake in history - Magnitude 9.5 near Chile, May 22, 1960
• Hawaii's tsunami history - A destructive and deadly past

 Update, 8:37am MST: The U.S. Department of State is referring anyone who is looking for friends and relatives in Chile to the Google Person Finder.  Please click here to visit the site. 

We have created a slideshow with the first images from on the ground in Chile.  Please click here to view it.

Update, 6:55am MST:  Chilean officials say the official death toll has climbed to at least 76.  Further casualties are expected.  Television images show collapsed buildings and fires in areas of central Chile.

Hawaii is under a tsunami warning as the waves are expected to reach the state at 11:19am HST.  Emergency officials will be sounding sirens at 6:00am and coastal areas are expected to be placed under evacuation orders. 

Original story, 6:37am MST: One of the largest earthquakes since 1900 struck off the coast of Chile early Saturday morning prompting tsunami warnings, collapsing buildings and claiming an unknown number of lives. The magnitude 8.8 temblor struck at 3:34am local time (06:34 UTC) and has been followed by more than a dozen significant aftershocks.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) has issued a tsunami warning that now includes the state of Hawaii. In its latest statement, the center said a tsunami has been generated and “Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property.” The first wave is expected to reach Hawaii at 11:19am local time (4:15pm EST).

According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) the epicenter of the quake was 70 miles north-northeast of Concepcion, Chile or 200 miles southwest of Santiago. Concepcion is the nation’s second largest city with a population of 200,000.

The shaking was felt as far away as the nation’s capital of Santiago where residents were reportedly shaken out of bed. News reports continue to be spotty but indicate buildings have been collapsed and at least 47 people have been killed with the death toll expected to climb.

Phone lines, electricity and water were knocked out virtually immediately in central Chile including in the capital.

President Michele Bachelet told reporters, "We're doing everything we can with all the forces we have. Any information we will share immediately." Bachelet urged calm amid what may be a major catastrophe and warned that, “without a doubt, with an earthquake of this magnitude, there will be more deaths."

Several tsunami waves made landfall on the Chilean coast, the largest of which was nine feet near the quake’s epicenter. Reports indicate multiple coastal towns may have been inundated by the waves.

Orlando Santos, President of CNN Chile, said the shaking lasted 45 to 60 seconds in Santiago. He described it as “violent shaking” saying he was knocked out of bed by the temblor and the city immediately went dark. Santos said he did not see any collapsed building but did see fallen building facades.

Just as troubling as the initial quake are a series of powerful aftershocks that have struck. Those have been as large as magnitude 6.9 and further threaten already weakened buildings.

Damage from the largest earthquake ever recorded - a magnitude
9.5 temblor that struck in the same area of Chile as Saturday's
earthquake. (USGS)

Chile and its coastal areas are known to be vulnerable to major earthquakes. The largest quake ever recorded occurred in the same area on May 22, 1960. That temblor was a magnitude 9.5 and killed 1,655 people and left more than 2 million people homeless.

The tsunami that was generated by that quake claimed 61 lives in Hawaii, 138 in Japan and 32 in the Philippines. Millions of dollars of damage was caused in those areas from the massive wave including on the west coast of the United States.

More information:

• Tsunami warning issued for Hawaii and most of Pacific following Chile earthquake
• U.S. Geological Survey - List of recent quakes in South America
• Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
• USGS - Historical information on May 22, 1960 earthquake

Earthquake Details

Magnitude 8.8 earthquake - Chile - February 27, 2010 (USGS / Google Earth)