In the early morning hours of Feb. 27, 2010, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake rocked the Republic of Chile. It was the fifth largest earthquake recorded since the beginning of the twentieth century. Over the next few hours, it became clear that an earthquake of such size could set off a tsunami capable of threatening Hawaii, Alaska, and the entire western United States seaboard. Experts recalled the May 1960 earthquake had also hit the coast of central Chile: the quake, with a magnitude of 9.5, had triggered a tsunami that reached Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines, killing dozens in each place.…