Update 3 : Tsunami Watches and Warnings (Source)

A tsunami following an earthquake in the Pacific Ocean off has caused some deaths in American Samoa , but there is no word of how many died, an official for the U.S. National Park Service said on Tuesday.

Holly Bundock, spokeswoman for the National Park Service's Pacific West Region in Oakland, California, quoted Mike Reynolds, superintendent of the National Park of American Samoa, as saying there had been some deaths. (Reuters)

A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR

AMERICAN SAMOA / SAMOA / NIUE / WALLIS-FUTUNA / TOKELAU /  COOK ISLANDS / TONGA / TUVALU / KIRIBATI / KERMADEC IS / FIJI /  HOWLAND-BAKER / JARVIS IS. / NEW ZEALAND / FR. POLYNESIA /  PALMYRA IS. / VANUATU / NAURU / MARSHALL IS. / SOLOMON IS.

A TSUNAMI WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR

JOHNSTON IS. / NEW CALEDONIA / KOSRAE / PAPUA NEW GUINEA / HAWAII / POHNPEI / WAKE IS. / PITCAIRN / MIDWAY IS. / CHUUK / AUSTRALIA

Update 2: Tsunami His American Samoa - No injuries reported yet (Breitbart )

10 FOOT TSUNAMI HITS AMERICAN SAMOA AFTER MASSIVE PACIFIC OCEAN EARTHQUAKE.31 minutes ago (Twitter) from BNO Headquarters - Earthquake updraded to 8.3 by USGS

Tsunamis can take hours to cross the open ocean. This quake as centered 1,670 miles (2685 km) from Auckland, New Zealand and just 125 miles from one of the Samoan islands. On the open ocean, a tsunami is barely noticeable. A wave that might be just inches high can soar to building-tall proportions as it meets a rising seafloor near the coast.

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Update 1: According to Reuters, "Tsunami observed at Apia West Samoa and Pago Pago, American Sameo - West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center." This would be an observation by an automated setup in the ocean and not yet certain of what might or might not occur on land.

Even major earthquakes under the sea do not always generate significant tsunamis. It depends on how and how much the floor of the sea shifts. A tsunami can be created when a significant thrust on the seafloor acts like a giant paddle.

No tsunami is expected along the California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska coasts, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

The U.S. Geological Survey is reporting a powerful 7.9 magnitude earthquake has hit in the South Pacific between Samoa and American Samoa. A tsunami alert has also been issued for the region.

The earthquake hit at 6:48 a.m. Tuesday (thats 1748 GMT) between the two island groups. In the Samoan capital of Apia some families fled their homes amid severe shaking that lasted for as long as three minutes. Their local media reported people were fleeing to higher ground amidst the shaking.

The quake struck 20 miles (35 kilometers) below the ocean floor and was 120 miles (190 kilometers) from American Samoa and 125 miles (200 kilometers) from Samoa.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a general alert for the South Pacific region, from American Samoa to New Zealand.

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