A tsunami watch has been issued for the the Oregon Coast for the evening of July 29 by the National Weather Service.

The tsunami watch was triggered by an 8.7 magnitude earthquake that occurred 80 miles southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Russia at 4:25 p.m. on July 29.

The tsunami watch means a tsunami is possible after a distant earthquake. 

The watch includes the entire West Coast of the United States, Alaska and Hawaii.

Estimated tsunami start times for selected Oregon sites:

People who are in the coastal area are told to stay alert for further updates.

The National Weather Service said the watch could be upgraded to a warning or advisory, or canceled as new information is made available.

What to know about tsunami alerts

The National Weather Service said tsunami messages are issued by the tsunami warning centers to alert local authorities and the public of a possible tsunami. There are four levels of tsunami alerts, according to the weather service:

• Tsunami Warning: “Take Action—Danger! A tsunami that may cause widespread flooding is expected or occurring. Dangerous coastal flooding and powerful currents are possible and may continue for several hours or days after initial arrival.” 
• Tsunami Advisory: “Take Action—A tsunami with potential for strong currents or waves dangerous to those in or very near the water is expected or occurring. There may be flooding of beach and harbor areas.” 
• Tsunami Watch: “Be Prepared—A distant earthquake has occurred. A tsunami is possible.” 
• Tsunami Information Statement: “Relax—An earthquake has occurred, but there is no threat or it was very far away and the threat has not been determined. In most cases, there is no threat of a destructive tsunami.”

Contributing: USA Today’s Thao Nguyen and Dinah Voyles Pulver and Reuters

Bill Poehler covers Marion and Polk County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at [email protected]