On a Friday morning (May 19), a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in the South Pacific area caused the United States Tsunami Warning Center to issue an alarm, which has subsequently been withdrawn.
“Depending on every piece of information, the tsunami danger from that earthquake has presently passed,” the center stated in a report via CNN.
Following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake at a length of 38 kilometers was observed, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recommended citizens in the South Pacific region stay away from coastal regions. Based on the USGS, the center of the earthquake was said to be close to the French colony of New Caledonia, which is west of Fiji and Vanuatu in the Coral Sea.
The tsunami alarm was first raised by American authorities since the earthquake’s origin was 621 miles or less from coastal regions and close to Vanuatu and Kiribati, among other nations. The state of Hawaii was no longer under a tsunami concern after the warning was canceled, according to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency.