From AP news:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_japan_earthquake

From Los Angeles Times:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-japan-quake-20110311,0,1950058.story

Epicenter was 81 miles off the coast of Sendai, where my mother’s family (my grandparents) came from, and where we still have relatives.

Just got a call from my son who works in the tsunami evacuation zone in Hilo, Hawaii that they will be on alert shortly due to a tsunami warning from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii. I’m worried about him and other relatives in both Hawaii and Japan (as well as Australia and New Zealand).

I’ve been in several earthquakes myself having grown up on Hawaii Island, where there are two active volcanoes (Kilauea, who recently opened a new vent near Pu’u O’o this week) and Mauna Loa– but 8.9 is incredibly huge. Photos of the devastation in Japan are incredible.

Stay tuned. Estimated time of arrival of any tsunami in Hawaii is 3 a.m. HST (6 a.m. MST), per the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center latest alert.

Star Advertiser newspaper in Honolulu reporting evacuation of all coastal areas before 3 a.m. HST:

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/117783848.html

7;30 a.m. MST morning update: 200/300 people reported killed, tsunami waves in Japan reached 10 meters. See http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42023385/ns/world_news-asiapacific/?gt1=43001 (sent from friend who used to live & study in Japan).

For those of you who want to read a live detailed blog, click on this link: http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/03/11/6243734-live-blog-huge-tsunami-hits-japan-after-89-quake

This is supposed to be the largest earthquake that Japan has ever experienced, and from the news reports, the destruction is massive.

Damage in Hawaii seems minimal (thankfully) as only waves of up to 6-8 feet (2 meters) reached there. Best news is from Honolulu Star Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com/.

Hawaii Civil Defense usually evacuates most people (residents & tourists) from coastal low-lying, tsunami inundation areas once they receive a tsunami warning from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. Once the sirens go off, people in Hawaii know to turn on their radios or TV sets (if there is electricity) and head upland (mauka) away from the Pacific Ocean.

3:30 p.m. update: horrendous photos of disaster in Japan:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1365318/Japan-earthquake-tsunami-The-moment-mother-nature-engulfed-nation.html