A warning means "a tsunami is imminent and that coastal locations in the warned area should prepare for flooding," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
A slightly less ominous "tsunami watch" has been issued for Chile.
According to NOAA's Tsunami.gov website, "an evaluation of the Pacific-wide tsunami threat is underway and there is a possibility that Hawaii could be elevated to a watch or warning status."
There's no word yet on the situation in Costa Rica.
Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.
9(MDAzNTYzNDk2MDEyNDM5NTU1OTc1NDZmZQ001))
