8.8 earthquake devastates Chile, tsunami warnings sound in Hawaii, Pacific under watch (photos)

8.8 earthquake devastates Chile, tsunami warnings sound in Hawaii, Pacific under watch (photos)

An enormous 8.8 magnitude earthquake devastated Chile during the early morning of Saturday, February 27, 2010 setting off tsunami warnings in Hawaii. The Pacific is under a tsunami threat where waves may reach heights of 16 feet.  Authorities predict the a tsunami may strike Hawaii at 11:00 a.m.

The earthquake hit at approximately 3:30 a.m. about 60 miles north-northwest of Chillan, Chile and 200 miles southwest of Santiago, Chile. The USGS clocks the time of the quake at 3:34:14 a.m. Hawaii is currently under a tsunami warning and the National Weather Service has placed the threat level as severe. The tsunami warning is in effect for the Pacific Ocean and Hawaii, extending to the coast of Japan and the Eastern Russia, China border.

State officials in Hawaii have executed emergency response plans as NOAA has issued the highest level of alert possible. Evacuations are underway and people are advised to move as far away from the coastline as possible.

The 8.8 earthquake struck on the coast of Chile, an area known for massive earthquakes. There have been 13 earthquakes that have measured a 7.0 or greater to strike the area since 1973. In May 1960, a 9.5 magnitude earthquake struck approximately 230 km south of today’s 8.8 magnitude quake. In 1960, approximately 1600 people perished due to the quake and the subsequent tsunami claimed 200 lives in the Pacific region including Japan, Hawaii, and the Philippines.

The death toll for today's earthquake is currently 120 lives lost; sadly, that number is expected to rise.
 

A dog stands in the debris of a collapsed wall on a street in central Santiago, early Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010. A powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit 200 miles (325 kilometers) southwest of the capital and the epicenter was just 70 miles (115 kilometers) from Concepcion, Chile's second-largest city. ( AP Photo/Aliosha Marquez)

A damaged building in Santiago Chile can be seen in this image from APTN following an earthquake early Saturday morning Feb. 27, 2010. (AP Photo/APTN)

People look through the rubble of a home in Santiago Chile in this image from APTN following an earthquake early Saturday morning Feb. 27, 2010. (AP Photo/APTN)