A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the South Pacific on Friday, triggering tsunami warnings for a number of Pacific island nations. But hours later, no significant damage had been reported.
Waves as high as 10 feet could hit Vanuatu, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s tsunami warning system initially said, later revising that estimate to 3 feet. The authorities in Vanuatu, an island nation with a population of about 300,000, urged people in coastal areas to move to higher ground.
Vanuatu officials later said that the threat had passed. Waves just over two feet high had been recorded, its department of meteorology said.
The earthquake struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands in the French territory of New Caledonia at about 2 p.m. local time.
The U.S. agency issued a tsunami alert for coasts within 600 miles of the earthquake epicenter, including Vanuatu. It initially said waves up to three feet high could strike the coasts of New Caledonia and other places, including Fiji, Kiribati and New Zealand, but later revised that estimate to one foot or less.
The authorities in New Caledonia asked residents to evacuate from coastal areas. The National Emergency Management Agency in New Zealand said it expected the country’s coastal areas to experience “strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore” and urged people along its northeastern shore to move away from beaches, harbors and rivers.
Four hours after the quake struck, no significant damage had been reported, in Vanuatu or elsewhere. Photos and videos from Vanuatu news outlets showed water washing up onto roads next to beaches, and boats bobbing in choppy bays.
