Powerful Magnitude 6.9 Earthquake Strikes Japan
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Japan has lifted a tsunami warning for its northeastern coast nearly four hours after a powerful offshore earthquake.
A tsunami advisory for waves of up to 1 meter (3 feet) remains in place for much of the Pacific coast.
The earlier warning was for waves of up to 3 meters (10 feet). The Japan Meteorological Agency had urged residents to flee quickly to higher ground.
The largest wave recorded was 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) at Sendai Bay.
The powerful magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the Pacific coast of Japan hours earlier on Monday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
According to the USGS, the earthquake struck around 12:59 p.m. Pacific Time about 57 miles east of Fukushima, at a depth of about 7 miles. Earlier reports said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.3.
Following the quake, the Japanese government issued a tsunami warning for the Fukushima prefecture and tsunami advisories in several neighboring prefectures.
There is no tsunami danger for California or the West Coast of the United States.
In 2011, Japan was devastated by tsunami waves following a magnitude 9.1 earthquake. The waves damaged the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, causing a massive nuclear meltdown and the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people.
