The underwater volcano near Tonga in the South Pacific sparked tsunami waves and a seaside spectacle Saturday on the California coast — nearly 6,000 miles away.
“Hello world, we are surviving the tsunami,” said Pacifica resident Savannah Peterson in a video, seconds after a giant wave crashed over a protective wall and into her home. “I can tell you it is happening y’all. It is happening.”
The National Weather Service issued a tsunami advisory Saturday for coastal California and much of the West Coast and forecast tsunami waves of one to three feet, which may also coincide with high tide.
Low-lying areas, such as harbors and shallow waters, were expected to see minor to moderate flooding, the agency said
.
People in Peterson’s video appeared unfazed by the warning or the waves, with at least one person heard giggling as the water receded.
Tsunami warnings were also issued for areas in the Pacific, including Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
“I regularly shoot wave footage here but I have never seen anything like this tsunami,” Peterson told Storyful.