I’m bad with calculating time zones, so I’ll just say that on Tuesday evening on America’s East Coast, Russia’s Far East was struck by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake. Tsunami warnings were immediately issued across the Pacific, and Japan conducted an immediate coastal evacuation as they prepared to get clobbered. Hawaii also braced for impact, with poorly managed evacuations taking place across the islands. The tsunami warnings are also being issued for America’s West Coast, although it definitely looks like this situation isn’t going to have the kind of loss of life similar to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Well, obviously, this is how the British media is choosing to frame the unfolding natural disaster: “Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s $14 million Montecito mansion caught up in tsunami warning zone.” Are the Sussexes literally the only people in California??

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s $14 million Montecito mansion has been marked in a tsunami warning after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia last night. The couple, who left the UK for California in January 2020, live with their young children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, in the coastal town of Montecito, situated in Santa Barbara County. The west coast state of California, including Santa Barbara County – and, therefore, the A-list enclave of Montecito – fell under the US National Tsunami Warning Center’s tsunami advisory issued on Tuesday night.

Warning against swimming in the sea or visiting beaches, those living in Harry and Meghan’s community were told that the risk ‘may continue for several hours after the initial wave’. It was this morning reported that the first waves sparked by the huge earthquake reached the shores of the US states of California and Hawaii.

Americans living along the Pacific were told to move to higher ground after the massive earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula triggered tsunami alerts across Hawaii, Alaska and the West Coast. Evacuation orders were issued for low-lying areas of Hawaii overnight, with sirens blaring across parts of Oahu and residents seen scrambling to pack bags and flee inland. Many residents raced for higher ground to stay safe as the first tsunami waves hit Hawaii on Wednesday morning. The rush has triggered huge traffic jams stretching many miles.

[From The Daily Mail]

The Mail isn’t alone here – other British outlets are focusing on the “tsunami threat to Harry and Meghan.” Similar to what happened earlier this year with the Southern California wildfires, which primarily affected LA County. To the British media, Harry and Meghan were in the biggest threat zone! Anyway, as for the tsunami… it doesn’t look like this is the big one, thank god. People should still be safe and listen to all of the directions from local and state authorities.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.