Tsunami heights exceed 6 feet after Chile earthquake; warning lifted

Observed tsunami heights reached nearly 7 feet in the Chilean port city of Iquique in the wake of Tuesday’s magnitude 8.2 earthquake off the nation’s northern coast.

But by early Wednesday local time, the U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center lifted tsunami warnings and watches for Chile and other Latin American countries.

A major tsunami was also not expected in Hawaii, but an advisory was in place because of expected strong currents that could pose a hazard for swimmers and boaters. The first waves were expected at 3:24 a.m. local time, or 6:24 a.m. PDT.

Waves of 6.9 feet were reported in Iquique, a city of about 182,000 people, and 6.6-foot waves struck at the sparsely populated port of Pisagua, closer to epicenter of the quake that occurred at 8:36 p.m. local time in Chile.

Five deaths were reported in the hours after the quake hit, including a fireman and a heart attack victim.

Evacuations were ordered along the long Pacific Coast of Chile, where waves as high as 16 feet were considered possible.