The first tsunamis have hit.

A tide gauge off the shore of Coquimbo, a Chilean seaside city less than 100 miles from the epicenter of tonight’s 8.3 moment magnitude earthquake, has logged wave heights in excess of 14 feet. This comes about 90 minutes after the quake struck at 7:54pm local time.

 M6.4 - 25km W of Illapel, Chile (click here)

The center is land based, not in the ocean.

This was a half hour ago.

Sep 16, 2015, 9:52 PM ET

Hawaii is under a tsunami watch (click here) after an 8.3-magnitude earthquake off the coast of north Chile.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued the watch, saying a tsunami may have been generated by Wednesday's earthquake.

If there is a tsunami, the center estimates that the first wave would arrive about 3 a.m. Thursday.

The powerful earthquake shook Chile's capital, causing buildings to sway and people to take refuge in the streets. Several strong aftershocks hit within minutes as tsunami alarms sounded in the nearby port of Valparaiso. There were no immediate reports of injuries, but authorities said some adobe houses collapsed in the inland city of Illapel, about 175 miles (280 kilometers) north of Santiago.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially reported the quake at a preliminary magnitude of 7.9, but it quickly revised the reading upward to 8.3.

The USGS shake map doesn't show much transmission of the quake. But, that doesn't mean there should be less vigilance so much as 'hope' there won't be much transmission of energy.