Great news! Downgraded from evacuation to advisory! Here's the room :

害羞草研究所� Catherine Lempke (@Cat_Lempke)

Tofino and Ucluelet residents breathed a collective sigh of relief around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday morning as the Tsunami Warning that had evacuated them from their homes and into their community害羞草研究所檚 emergency muster stations was cancelled.

害羞草研究所淭he warning has been downscaled to an advisory. So, that害羞草研究所檚 good news害羞草研究所� Ucluelet害羞草研究所檚 Manager of Environmental and Emergency Services Karla Robison said into her megaphone at the Ucluelet Secondary School around 4:30 a.m. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e safe to go home.害羞草研究所�

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The school害羞草研究所檚 gym was packed as hundreds of community members had gathered after receiving alerts to evacuate after a 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit off Alaska around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. Local police and members of the Ucluelet Volunteer Fire Brigade were knocking on residents homes around 3 a.m. advising them to head to the gym.

After relaying the good news that the warning had been cancelled, Robison explained an advisory means to stay away from docks, shorelines and harbours.

害羞草研究所淎 warning means you need to evacuate, an advisory means you don害羞草研究所檛 go surfing, you don害羞草研究所檛 go hang out on the docks, you don害羞草研究所檛 go boating, you don害羞草研究所檛 go fishing,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淎n advisory is just to stay away from the ocean because there could be some stronger currents and there could be some smaller-type surges, but no large waves.害羞草研究所�

An automated message from Tofino害羞草研究所檚 One Call emergency notification system went out at 4:42 a.m. advising Tofitians the Tsunami Warning had been cancelled.

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Ucluelet local Pieter Timmermans said he and his wife Barbara Schramm were in bed when they heard the tsunami siren.

害羞草研究所淲e thought, 害羞草研究所極kay, something害羞草研究所檚 going on,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 he said. 害羞草研究所淲e were waiting for a text to come through on the cell phone, but nothing came through so I called the local RCMP and they said, 害羞草研究所楾here害羞草研究所檚 a tsunami alert害羞草研究所� and we boogied out.害羞草研究所�

Schramm added that she was surprised a tsunami advisory wasn害羞草研究所檛 immediately posted on the district of Ucluelet害羞草研究所檚 website.

害羞草研究所淪till in my bed, I looked for that and there was no notice,害羞草研究所� she said.

Timmermans said he was in the school害羞草研究所檚 gym by the time he received an alert on his cell-phone and added he was impressed with how many people heeded the warning and made their way to the gym.

害羞草研究所淚t was really interesting to see everybody get up and at 害羞草研究所榚m and obey the warnings,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚t was a good learning exercise. Even though the texts didn害羞草研究所檛 go out in time, I害羞草研究所檓 sure next time this will help iron out some of the wrinkles.害羞草研究所�

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害羞草研究所淚t was a really good drill,害羞草研究所� said Ukee local Julie Chernis. 害羞草研究所淣eighbours came to the door and pounded on our door and then, 10 minutes later, the fire department came害羞草研究所�It was neighbour-to-neighbour. They were banging on the door. They knew we were there and they didn害羞草研究所檛 let up until we got up and said 害羞草研究所楬ey, we害羞草研究所檙e on the go.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

Julie害羞草研究所檚 husband Ed Chernis suggested he害羞草研究所檇 like to see a quicker alert from the district office next time.

害羞草研究所淲hat gets me is that, if the earthquake was at 1:30 a.m., why did the emergency notification from the district get to me at 3:49 a.m.?害羞草研究所� he asked. 害羞草研究所淚 had to rely on a neighbour to come pounding on our door to let us know.害羞草研究所�

Ucluelet Mayor Dianne St. Jacques told the Westerly News inside the gym that the community responded well to the event and that she and her team will discuss the evacuation event and ways to improve in the future.

害羞草研究所淚t was a very good dress rehearsal. As always, there are things to learn when these things happen so we害羞草研究所檒l definitely have a debrief with our gang here, but everybody was very professional and very calm and did what needed to be done. I think we害羞草研究所檙e on a good path with emergency preparedness,害羞草研究所� she said.

害羞草研究所淭he community did awesome害羞草研究所�The firemen did a great job getting to all the low lying areas, evacuating everyone and getting them up here to this reception area. People were very patient and very calm. So I害羞草研究所檓 very impressed and, luckily, it turned out to be downgraded to just an advisory so we害羞草研究所檙e very grateful for that.害羞草研究所�