The National Weather Service issued Santa Barbara County a tsunami advisory, and the county has advised county residents to avoid oceans and waterways for the time being.
This tsunami warning comes after the eruption of a volcano near the Tonga Islands and places California, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska on the tsunami advisory.
The tsunami advisory will remain in place for three hours after the surges subside, and the county does expect damage to harbors and piers.
The surge was not expected to cause “widespread inundation” on the West Coast, Noozhawk reported.
A dispatcher at the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office said that residents of Del Playa Drive — which is positioned directly above Isla Vista beach — had no reason for concern and would be unaffected by the potential surge.
The advisory was called off a little after midnight on Jan. 16.
UPDATE: [1/17/2022, 5:04 p.m.] This article was updated to include that the warning has been called off.
