A powerful magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck off South America’s Pacific coast late Tuesday, creating two tsunamis that already hit the north coast.  Chile’s National Emergency Office is using Twitter, among other things, to request everyone evacuate from the coastline for fear more waves may be on the way.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) says the epicenter was off Chile’s north coast where people have a lot of experience dealing with big quakes.  Seismologists say the quake was very shallow, only 10 kilometers below the seabed, which would have made it feel stronger.

People are moving away from the coast in an incredibly, efficient orderly fashion.  Southern Peru also ordered coastal evacuations, and tsunami warnings were issued all the way north to El Salvador on the Pan-American Isthmus.  There are scattered reports of rockslides and roads blocked in the area. 

Just last week, Chileans were on edge because of a swarm of more than 300 quakes in the North.  Back in 2010, a magnitude 8.8 temblor killed more than 500 people, destroyed 220,000 homes, and washed away docks, riverfronts and seaside resorts.