UPDATED: Tsunami Warning Issued for Portion of West Coast

(Updated on Saturday at 10:50 a.m.): At 8:20 a.m., NOAA finally canceled the tsunami advisory for Pacific Palisades and other coastal areas between Alamitos Bay and the Oregon/California border.

--

(Updated at 2:15 p.m.): The Will Rogers State Beach parking lot is now open, said Lucie Kim, marketing analyst for the L.A. County Department of Beaches and Harbors. The entrance gate to the parking lot had been closed to discourage people from coming to the beach this morning after lifeguards and police warned of potentially dangerous currents. Beach goers are asked to stay out of the water and off the beach until the tsunami threat level has been reduced, Kim told Palisades Patch.

--

(Updated at 10:30 a.m.): Will Rogers State Beach maintenance workers were ordered to stage heavy equipment like bulldozers and tractors along the beach to support emergency first responder units within the L.A. County Fire Department, said Kennith Foreman, acting chief of Facilities and Property Maintenance Division of the L.A. County Department of Beaches and Harbors. 

In the event of unusually high waves, workers are prepared to move sand and build berms, Foreman told Patch.

--

(Updated at 10:15 a.m.): Patch caught up with John Pacheco,  CEO of the .

"We're in standby mode," he said, adding that he's been coordinating with Paul Weinberg, Santa Monica's emergency-services coordinator.

According to Pacheco, the largest waves that have arrived on Santa Monica Beach this morning have been 1.5 feet tall. They were expected to be as high as 3 feet.

Earlier Friday, the Red Cross' Santa Monica Chapter received calls from residents wondering if they should evacuate, Pacheco said. There have been no reported evacuations in Los Angeles related to the tsunami alerts.

In northern California, however, 10 evacuation sites have opened, according to the CEO. He finished a statewide Red Cross call shortly before speaking with Patch.

Pacheco noted that he hasn't heard of injuries, or damage to houses or boats, anywhere in California.

Pacheco said calls to the Santa Monica Chapter have dropped off since earlier Friday morning. Still, he expects more to start rolling in as people try to get in touch with family and friends in Japan, where the massive earthquake occurred. The phone lines will likely remain open over the weekend.

Those seeking such information can also go to RedCross.org, Pacheco said.

The phone number for the Red Cross in Santa Monica is 310.394.3773.

--

(Updated at 9:40 a.m.): Student attendance was down five percent this morning at Westside Waldorf School as some parents were concerned over the recent tsunami advisory. A group of students were taken behind the school, to higher ground, this morning as part of an evacuation exercise, said Waldorf academic director Gita Labrentz. She has been in contact with other school administrators regarding the matter since 5 a.m., she said.

--

(Updated at 9:25 a.m.): Police visited Canyon Elementary School at approximately 8:30 this morning to let administrators know they didn't have to worry about higher-than-usual waves reaching the school. Evacuation is not imminent, said office clerk Jackie Arabia.

--

(Updated at 8:48 a.m.): The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has now extended the tsunami advisory across the entire coast of L.A. County.

--

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a tsunami warning early Friday morning for California's coast north of Point Concepcion, calling for residents to move immediately inland or to higher ground.

They placed Los Angeles, as well as the area from Santa Barbara to Mexico, under an advisory. According to NOAA's website, "Significant, widespread inundation is not expected for areas under an advisory."

An 8.9-magnitude earthquake occurred off Japan's coast at approximately 9:46 Thursday night, creating a tsunami which hit Japan's coast minutes later.

NOAA estimates that waves from the earthquake would hit Los Angeles at approximately 8:30 a.m.

"We're not anticipating too many issues," said Battalion Commander Dean Ulrich of the Los Angeles City Fire Department. Ulrich said the county's Department Operational Center (DOC) was on alert, but "they aren't looking at any evacuations."

"They are looking at a 3-foot surge at low tide," Ulrich said. "We get that on a nice-going storm."

Santa Monica Fire Chief Carl Bjerke told Patch that the potential surge would have different effects along the coastline, depending on whether the area in question has a harbor or a bay.

Redondo Beach and Marina del Rey, for example, "might have some issues" because they have a harbor. He said boats that are moored or tied to docks could be impacted by the expected 3-foot surge.

Waves are expected to hit Hawaii at approximately 5 a.m. PST. NOAA, the federal agency charged with monitoring potential tsunamis, has buoys positioned around Hawaii that will provide additional information about the speed, size and strength of the waves.

"Hawaii is the area of most imminent concern," said Trent Kelly, public affairs officer for the Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach.

Although predictions at 4 a.m. were that Los Angeles would not experience a tsunami, waves are unpredictable.

"Every wave is different," Kelly said. "These are truly tidal waves. The waves are under the surface of the water, and as the wave rides up, you start to see more of a build. Depending on the force and magnitude ... you could get something that could carry." Even waves of a few feet have been known to travel inland.

Kelly recommended that residents continue to monitor NOAA's alert system, but was reassuring that potential dangers would be known in advance. "NOAA has buoys 100 miles from the coast," he said. "Once there is a projected landing time, there are still a couple hours there."

This story was updated at 6:03 a.m.