The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration placed Whatcom County in a tsunami advisory on July 29 after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit Russia’s Far East region earlier in the day.
A tsunami watch was first placed for Whatcom County during the evening of July 29 before being upgraded to an advisory, which encouraged people to stay away from beaches, later that evening.
The advisory was then canceled at 10:30 a.m. July 30 for the Washington state coasts and Strait of Juan de Fuca, though the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management cautioned returning to the water for the rest of the day because of strong currents.
The county’s emergency management team encouraged people to visit WhatcomReady.org or the Whatcom Ready Facebook page for current information during emergency incidents.
