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Hawaiians are bracing for disaster, but hoping for the best after receiving news that a quake-triggered tsunami could come ashore at any moment.
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A deadly 8.8 magnitude tremblor– described as 900x more intense than the one that struck Haiti last month — rocked the South American nation of Chile early Saturday, possibly prompting disaster for Hawaii. Earthquakes send potentially-damaging waves across the ocean that can cause tsunamis.
Emergency officials set off shrieking alarm sirens across parts of Hawaii, which could face its largest waves since 1964, according to Charles McCreery, director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. Mandatory evacuations are currently taking place all over the island.
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In addition to the State of Hawaii, there have been tsunami warnings issued for every country along the Pacific Ocean. Nearly one-quarter of the global population could be affected by today’s earthquake in Chile.