The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has lifted a tsunami watch for Hawaii following a magnitude-8.0 undersea earthquake near the Samoa islands.

The center downgraded the Hawaii watch to an advisory at 10:23 a.m., according to center director Charles McCreery.
The Islands remain under a tsunami advisory until 7 p.m., meaning unusual sea levels or surges could occur. The warning center says sea level changes of 3 to 4 feet could take place between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
“Hawaii does not have the threat of a major tsunami, but ... there could be sea-level changes and strong currents right at the coastline,” McCreery said.
“It could be a hazard to swimmers, boaters and people right at the coast along the beach.”
Bay areas are more vulnerable, he said, mentioning Hilo Bay and Kahului Bay in particular.
Speaking from the warning center, geophysicist Gerard Fryer said the new models and equipment make it much easier to gather more accurate tsunami data more quickly.
“If this had happened a decade ago, Hawaii would be in a warning” and full coastal evacuations would be under way, he said.
The quake generated a tsunami that came ashore on American Samoa.
Fili Sagapolutele, who works at the Samoa News, said water flowed inland about 100 yards in Pago Pago before receding, leaving cars stuck in mud.
There were no official reports of injuries or structural damage, but several news services reported there had been some deaths.
The tsunami watch was declared at 8:05.
The quake was located 110 miles east-northeast of Hihifo, Tonga; 125 miles south-southwest of Apia, Samoa; 435 miles north-northeast of Nukualofa, Tonga; and 1,670 miles north-northeast of Auckland, New Zealand.
In the Samoan capital of Apia, families fled their homes amid severe shaking that lasted for up to three minutes, the Associated Press reported. Local media reported people fled to higher ground.