White House ‘closely monitoring’ Chilean quake, tsunami threat

The White House is “closely monitoring” the aftermath of a massive earthquake that shook Chile on Saturday that killed at least 78 people, press secretary Robert Gibbs said. 

The magnitude 8.8. quake destroyed several buildings and has reportedly triggered a tsunami.

{mosads}”We are closely monitoring the situation, including the potential for a tsunami. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Chile, and we stand ready to help in this hour of need,” Gibbs said according to a White House pool report.

Tsunami waves are expected to hit Obama’s home state of Hawaii at 11:19 a.m. local time (4:19 p.m. Eastern time) and residents have been put on alert by authorities. Alarms have gone off to evacuate coastal areas for the first time in 16 years, according to reports.

Chile was hit by an earthquake about a month after a massive earthquake leveled almost the entire capital of Haiti and killed thousands.

President Barack Obama pledged $100 million to the Haitian relief effort. Seismically active Chile has well-equipped search-and-rescue teams, many trained with U.S. help.

The State Department phone line for concerned Americans to check on relatives in Chile is (888) 407-4747. There is also a web portal to check for people.

“As countries across the hemisphere monitor the possibility of a tsunami, we hope and pray that there is no further destruction or loss of life,” Rep. Connie Mack (Fla.), the ranking Republican on the House Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, said in a statement. “As Chile begins to rebuild and recover, the United States, and indeed the entire hemisphere, stands ready to help.”

This post was updated at 1 p.m.