Huge Chile earthquake brings tsunami advisory for California coastline - latimes

A tsunami advisory has been issued for coastal areas of California after a magnitude 8.3 earthquake hit central Chile on Wednesday.

The tsunami advisory extends from San Onofre State Beach in San Clemente, about 55 miles north of San Diego, to Ragged Point, about 50 miles north of San Luis Obispo, according to the National Tsunami Warning Center.

National weather officials expect the tsunami will begin to affect the California coast about 4:46 a.m. in Newport Beach and travel swiftly, arriving a minute later in the Port of Los Angeles. By 5:06 a.m., the tsunami will arrive in Santa Barbara, and by 5:10 a.m., in Port San Luis.

A “widespread inundation of land is not expected” for these advisory areas, with the tsunami wave predicted to reach up to 1 foot in the Port of Los Angeles and Pismo Beach. Forecasters expect strong currents and dangerous waves, and the ocean current could be especially hazardous for several hours, according to the Tsunami Warning Center.

"Anybody is going to be susceptible to this. It's not like a storm -- where it only affects a particular area or southwest-facing beaches," said Stuart Seto, a weather specialist with the National Weather Service. "This is like a very long wave. But the first wave may not be the largest. It may go on for many hours." - Read More

California tsunami advisory: What you need to know

8.3 quake strikes near Chile's capital, prompting strong aftershocks