LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Japan’s earthquake today has generated U.S. and global warnings. Japan’s earthquake has registered a 8.9 magnitude,  caused massive damage, been followed by hundreds of major earthquake aftershocks, and created a national state of emergency. At the same time, the Japan earthquake has generated global warnings across the U.S., Taiwan, and Canada.

As many as twenty countries were under initial alerts after the Japan earthquake struck. Those alerts have passed without any significant occurrences. The Philippines, Indonesia and Chile were warned of possible tsunami attacks. But in Taiwan, for example, the tsunami surges only generated waves of 12 centimeters or shorter.

Indonesia, Russia, New Zealand and Australia were also the subject of alerts Friday. But updates from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center appear to suggest those alerts have passed without concern.

The U.S. is expecting the arrival of its first surges within moments in Hawaii. The NOAA’s National Weather Service issued the following statement to news moments ago. “A tsunami has been generated that could cause damage along coastlines of all islands in the state of Hawaii” reads the statement.

Tsunami Arrival Times Map
Tsunami Arrival Times Map 1

“Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property.” The NOAA explains to news that “a tsunami is a series of long ocean waves, each individual wave crest can last five to fifteen minutes or more and [cause] extensively flood[ing in] coast areas.”

And while Hawaii is under alert for 8 am EST today, the “danger can continue for many hours after the initial wave as subsequent waves arrive” says NOAA in its news statement.

Japan Earthquake Maps
Japan Earthquake Map 1
Japan Earthquake Map 2
Japan Earthquake Map 3
Japan Earthquake Map 4

Moreover “tsunami wave heights cannot be predicted and the first wave may not be the largest. Tsunami waves efficiently wrap around islands.”

Despite erroneous claims that one side of an island is less at danger than another, NOAA tells news that “all shores are at risk no matter which direction they face.” And as depicted in news footage out of Japan, “debris picked up and carried by a tsunami amplifies its destructive power.”

NOAA says the estimated arrival time in Hawaii of the first tsunami wave is 0307 AM HST.