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Tsunami watch canceled for Hawaii

Hawaii was briefly under a tsunami watch Wednesday night after a major earthquake struck just south of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.

The U.S. Geological Survey listed the magnitude at 8.2 and said the quake struck at about 8:15 p.m. Hawaii time, centered 56 miles east-southeast of Perryville on the Alaskan Peninsula, which was immediately placed under a tsunami warning. The quake was centered about 29 miles below the surface of the ocean, according to USGS.

Two other earthquakes with preliminary magnitudes of 6.2 and 5.6 occurred in the same area within a half-hour of the first one, the USGS reported.

Soon after the 8.2 quake struck, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center placed Hawaii under a tsunami watch, and said the estimated earliest arrival of the first tsunami wave in Hawaii was 12:53 a.m. today.

But at 9:54 p.m., the PTWC canceled the watch, saying, “Based on all available data there is no tsunami threat to the State of Hawaii. Therefore, the tsunami watch for Hawaii is now cancelled.”

There were no reports of significant damage or injuries in Alaska.

RELATED: Major quake produces prolonged shaking, small tsunami for Alaska

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For information on tsunami preparedness go to honolulu.gov/dem/preparedness/tsumani.html.

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