7.7-magnitude earthquake in South Pacific briefly sparks tsunami warning

The quake prompted NOAA to issue a warning stating that waves up to 10 feet could hit the island nation of Vanuatu.

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May 19 (UPI) -- Earthquake officials called off tsunami warnings in the South Pacific Friday afternoon after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake sparked concerns huge waves could affect islands there.

The powerful, but remote, earthquake struck southeast of the Loyalty Islands, belonging to the French territory of New Caledonia, to the west of Fiji and Vanuatu, about 2 p.m. local time, according to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center.

The quake prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to issue a warning stating that waves up to 10 feet could hit the island nation of Vanuatu.

Officials in Vanuatu urged its 300,000 residents to reach higher ground but the warning was later revised, saying waves would rise no higher than 3 feet. The island's meteorology said it recorded waves no higher than 2 feet above normal on Friday.

The National Emergency Management Agency in New Zealand said a tsunami advisory remained in effect late Friday, expressing concern over the potential to injure or drown people in the water.

Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency, however, said no tsunami threat was expected for the state.

The South Pacific is one of the world's most seismic regions because of the activity of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

In the wake of the earthquake, numerous aftershocks have been reported in the nearby region. According to the USGS, the largest of these reached 7.1-magnitude strength.

The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed that a much smaller, 2.2-magnitude earthquake, shook the Westchester County, New York area and northern New Jersey around 2 a.m. Friday. The USGS said the quake confirmed a 2.2 magnitude earthquake struck Friday a mile south of Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.

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