Tsunami waves from Chile earthquake expected to reach Orange County

A million people were evacuated in Chile after an 8.3-magnitude quake struck offshore in the Pacific, killing at least 10 people and triggering tsunami waves along its northern coast. It was felt across South America and as far away as Buenos Aires, on the opposite side of the continent.

The USA government’s National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) also issued a tsunami advisory for Southern California, including coastal areas of the counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego.

Tsunami advisories have been issued for several locations throughout the Pacific after the huge natural disaster that shook central Chile on Thursday evening taking the lives of at least eight people. “Once again we have to confront a tough blow from nature”, Bachelet said in regards to Chile’s history with earthquakes.

The 2010 quake killed more than 500 people, destroyed 220,000 homes, and washed away docks, river fronts and seaside resorts.

The quake – the strongest in the world this year – lasted for more than three minutes and there were dozens of aftershocks.

The quake was measured at a preliminary magnitude of 7.9, but later upgraded to 8.3 according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Waves in one of Chile’s port cities reached as high as 15 feet, and many areas experienced severe flooding.

The inland city of Illapel, about 46 km (28 miles) from the epicenter, was without electricity or drinking water.

Among the dead were a woman in Illapel, close to the epicenter, and an 86-year-old man in Santiago, where there were scenes of pandemonium as thousands fled swaying buildings.

The warning center said the tsunami generated by the quake was no longer a threat by 12:30 p.m. but some areas could continue to see small sea level changes or ongoing surges.

Chile’s state copper miner Codelco said it was evacuating its workers at its Ventanas division.

APPHOTO XNP120: People embrace amid the destruction left behind by an earthquake-triggered tsunami in Concon, Chile, Thursday, September 17, 2015.