UPDATE: Hawaii County reported Friday morning that all beaches in West Hawaii have reopened.
Original post:
All West Hawaii beaches are closed Thursday afternoon after a tsunami watch was called off earlier in the afternoon.
Hawaii County and state beach parks from Keokea Beach Park in North Kohala to Miloliʻi in South Kona are closed until further notice. The decision comes as a precautionary measure after a tsunami watch was called off earlier in the afternoon.
“Hawaii County officials will continue to monitor the situation and alert the public when beach parks are reopened,” the spokesperson Cyrus Johnasen said.
Mariners and boaters with vessels in Kona or Kohala state small boat harbors should take precautions to secure their vessels.
Normal hours and operations are expected to resume on Friday.
A tsunami watch was posted Thursday morning following a magnitude-8.1 earthquake in the area of the Kermadec Islands. It was canceled at 12:20 p.m., about three hours after the earthquake struck.