By Nectar Gan and Wayne Chang, CNN From CNN’s Himari Semans All flights to Japan’s Naha Airport on Okinawa island have been diverted following a tsunami report, the airport’s spokesperson told CNN on Wednesday. All staff and personnel have evacuated to the third floor in anticipation of the tsunami’s impact, Hideaki Tsurudo said, adding that no waves have reached the airport in the timeframe of the warning. Footage broadcast by CNN affiliate TVBS showed how Taiwanese people captured the moment the tremors struck inside their homes and businesses using phones and security cameras. One video showed power lines swaying violently above a street, another showed chandeliers shaking in a restaurant while a third featured water spilling out of a fishbowl. From CNN’s Junko Ogura All flights from Japan’s Okinawa and Kagoshima regions have been suspended following tsunami warnings in the area, according to Japan Airlines. Flights that were headed to the areas with tsunami warnings have been turned back, it added. From CNN’s Wayne Chang Reports of preliminary damage are emerging following a 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Taiwan. Tilted houses and damage have been reported in Hualien County, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said, adding that military troops have been dispatched for disaster relief and to minimize damage and that schools and work have been suspended amid the continuing aftershocks. From CNN’s Junko Ogura Wednesday’s tsunami in Japan’s Okinawa area was the first observed in 26 years, with the last one taking place in 1998 following a 7.7 earthquake 20 km south of Ishigaki Island, according to Japan’s Metrological Agency (JMA). During the 1998 tsunami, the forecast was for 1-meter-high waves in the coastal areas of Miyakojima and Yaeyama regions, but the actual tsunami observed was less than 10 centimeters, according to JMA. From CNN’s Wayne Chang The earthquake that struck Taiwan early on Wednesday is the strongest to impact the island in 25 years, according to a spokesperson from Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration. A 7.3 earthquake, also known as the Jiji earthquake, struck the island in 1999, according to CWA. From CNN’s Wayne Chang A major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 struck off Taiwan’s eastern coast Wednesday, according to the US Geological Survey, prompting tsunami warnings for the island and southern Japan. The quake’s epicenter is located about 18 kilometers (11 miles) south of the city of Hualien. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration issued a tsunami warning following the quake. An alert from CWA was sent to residents, though not all received it, warning that a tsunami was expected to impact the northern coastal area and that residents are advised to evacuate to higher ground. The Japan Meteorological Agency also issued a tsunami warning for Miyakojima and Okinawa islands, warning of waves up to 3 meters expected imminently. From CNN’s Jennifer Gray Measuring earthquakes is no easy task, given they strike suddenly and sometimes at global scale. When the Earth’s crust shifts abruptly, an earthquake occurs, with energy radiated out as seismic waves and shaking that’s sometimes experienced by people, buildings and infrastructure. Seismic waves and factors related to the shifting ground determine an earthquake’s magnitude, as measured through 10 on the scale most commonly used to describe quakes. How strong the shaking feels is an earthquake’s intensity, as measured on a scale that uses Roman numerals to assign categories based on assessed damage and people’s observations. Read more about what the scales indicate:
7.4-magnitude quake near Taiwan’s coast sparks tsunami warnings
