LOS ANGELES>> California warned its coastal cities to prepare for possible tsunami waves following a deadly magnitude-8.8 earthquake off the coast of Chile.

A tsunami advisory was issued for the coast of California and an Alaskan coastal area from Kodiak to Attu islands.

An advisory means there may be strong currents, but that widespread inundation is not expected to occur.

Jordan Scott, a spokesman for the California Office of Emergency Management, said the state was monitoring the situation and that it's up to local communities to prepare.

If a tsunami hits the West Coast, the first waves would reach La Jolla near San Diego, according to the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center.