No California tsunami alert after magnitude 7.0 quake rocks Solomon Islands

SACRAMENTO -- A 7.0 earthquake on the Solomon Islands on Monday evening does not pose a tsunami threat to California, the Governor's Office of Emergency said, though the agency is monitoring the situation.

The quake's epicenter was in the ocean about 35 miles southwest of Honiara in the South Pacific at a depth of 8 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

California residents are encouraged to follow the National Weather Service's Tsunami Alerts on Twitter @NWS_NTWC

There were no immediate reports of widespread damage or injuries from the earthquake.

Freelance journalist Charley Piringi said he was standing outside a warehouse next to a primary and a secondary school on the outskirts of the capital, Honiara, when the quake struck, sending the children running.

"The earthquake rocked the place," he said. "It was a huge one. We were all shocked, and everyone is running everywhere."

Hazardous waves are possible for islands in the region, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said, but it advised there was no wider tsunami threat expected.

The earthquake may produce waves of up to 1 meter (3 feet) above tide levels for the Solomon Islands, the center said, and smaller waves for the coasts of Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.

The Solomon Islands sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a arc along the Pacific Ocean rim where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.

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