Japan Well Prepared For Tiny Tsunami

Residents along Japan's Pacific coast were told to flee an impending tsunami after a powerful earthquake with preliminary magnitude 8.1 hit the Kuril Islands north of Japan late Wednesday.

A couple hours after the initial scare, Japan's meteorological agency said a tsunami, estimated to be 16 inches high, hit northern Japan.

A second wave of half that height was recorded about 15 minutes later. At least three more small waves followed.

Live footage from northern Japan after the first waves hit showed calm seas and lighted windows. Residents said they barely felt the quake and there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen says the Japanese always take earthquakes and the threat of tsunamis very seriously.

"In this case, the omens were good; the earthquake was almost 30 miles deep, and hundreds of miles off shore. But a tsunami can be very unpredictable," he says.

Petersen adds that the Japanese live in a very well organized society, where people follow the rules carefully, "so when they are told to evacuate, they do so in an orderly fashion."

The quake struck about 240 miles east of the Etorofu islands north of Japan at 1115 GMT, according to Japan's Meteorological Agency, which issued a tsunami warning 15 minutes later.

The Initial warning said a threatening 6.5 feet high or taller wave could hit the Pacific coast of Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido and main island of Honshu.

Local authorities along Hokkaido's coast ordered residents living along the northern and eastern coasts of Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido to evacuate to higher ground, according to public broadcaster NHK.

In the city of Kushiro, fire department and city officials urged residents to move to safety, city official Masatoshi Sato said.

Railway officials ordered local trains on Hokkaido to stop at nearby stations as a precautionary step, NHK said.

It wasn't immediately known if the authorities had toned down their warnings and evacutation orders following the relatively small tsunami.

Keiichi Kimura, a Hokkaido Prefectural (state) police officer, said there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the powerful under-sea quake.

Japan is one of the world's best-prepared nations when it comes to earthquakes and the potentially destructive forces of the sea. Their network of land and ocean sensors, and their quick public alert system are often recognized as the world's most sophisticated.

The meteorological agency often over-estimates the size of tsunamis approaching the islands, which most view as simply erring on the side of caution.

As Petersen notes, the Japanese seem to accept that when it comes to their government keeping them protected from mother nature, "better safe than sorry."

Etorofu is one of four islands claimed by both Japan and Russia.

It is known in Russia as Iturup. The chain of islands is known in Russia as the Kurils and in Japan as the Northern Territories.

The islands were occupied by the Soviet Union in the closing days of World War II. They are surrounded by rich fishing waters and are believed to have promising offshore oil and natural gas reserves. They also have gold and silver deposits. But the population has plummeted to just 9,900, according to official statistics.

A Russian official said a powerful earthquake had struck the Kuril Islands area and there was no immediate word of damage or casualties.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported on its Web site a 7.8 magnitude quake centered 275 miles east-northeast of the Kuril Islands at a depth of 17.2 miles.

Temblors of magnitude 7 are generally classified as major earthquakes, capable of widespread, heavy damage.

Russian officials confirmed that a powerful earthquake had struck the Kuril Islands area but said there was no immediate word of damage or casualties.

Tsunami waves — generated by earthquakes — are often barely noticeable in the ocean but can rise to great heights once they arrive at shore.

Cindy Preller at the Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer said no tsunami is expected to hit Hawaii or the West Coast of North and South America. She said there is a slight chance one could hit in the western Aleutian Islands of the U.S. state of Alaska.

A magnitude 9.1-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Indonesia on Dec. 26, 2004 caused a tsunami that killed at least 213,000 people in 11 countries.