HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) canceled the Tsunami watch for the state of Hawaii, effective 12:20 p.m.
The Tsunami watch was initially issued after an 8.1 magnitude earthquake struck near New Zealand on Thursday. The quake was reported at 9:30 a.m. Hawaii time, according to PTWC.
Though the watch has been canceled, residents are urged to have a plan in place and to be prepared for future events.
Honolulu Mayor, Rick Blangiardi, urged Oahu residents to download the HNL.info app to receive emergency push alerts.
Hawaii residents can check whether they work or live in a tsunami evacuation zone using NOAA’s tsunami evacuation map.
Multiple earthquakes struck the Kermadec Islands region over the course of Thursday morning. The previous two did not generate tsunami warnings, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.