By Melanie Sun and Victoria Friedman
Contributing Writers
An 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the east coast of Russia on Wednesday, triggering tsunami warnings across the northern Pacific Ocean. Tsunami warnings and advisories extended from Alaska south toward New Zealand.
The quake, which occurred at 7:24 p.m. ET (Tuesday), had an epicenter off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula and was strong enough to generate a tsunami, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The USGS initially reported the magnitude as 8.0 but later revised it to 8.8. An 8.8 magnitude earthquake ranks among the top six largest ever recorded.
According to the National Weather Service’s tsunami warning center, tsunami waves from the quake were confirmed by ocean buoys near the epicenter.
Initially, tsunami warnings were issued for Alaska, Hawaii, and other Pacific Islands, while a tsunami watch was issued for the U.S. West Coast as well as Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and other islands of Micronesia. The danger appears to be lessening in some areas. Hawaii and parts of Japan have downgraded tsunami warnings as of the publication of this story on Wednesday.
The NWS Los Angeles office posted on X that tsunami waves had reached the Southern California coast overnight, and by Wednesday morning the warnings had been lifted, but residents were still cautioned to avoid the water due to potential strong currents.
“All Tsunami Advisories for #SoCal have been cancelled,” the NWS posted. “However, strong rip currents will likely continue across the #SoCal beaches for the next couple of days. So, if you go to the beach, check with the lifeguards about the water conditions.”
The NWS Bay Area office said at 3 a.m. local time that it was observing tidal swings of 2 to 2.5 feet in as little as 15 minutes in San Francisco, which it said “can create some seriously dangerous currents along beaches and harbors.”
Point Reyes reported the highest tidal deviation yet, at 1.99 feet, as of 4 a.m., according to the NWS regional office.
The NWS Bay Area said this was more than three hours after the initial tsunami wave arrived and warned that people should wait for the all clear.
“This is far from over,” it stated on social media.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said impacts were possible for some coastal areas of Central and South America, including waves of 1 to 3 meters (3 to 10 feet) above tide level in Ecuador and Chile.
U.S. President Donald Trump highlighted tsunami warnings for Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific coast with a post on Truth Social.
“Stay strong and stay safe,” he wrote.
Tsunami in Russia
Russian officials said that a tsunami with 10-foot waves had hit parts of Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula near the earthquake’s epicenter. Buildings have been damaged and evacuations ordered, said Sergei Lebedev, regional minister for emergencies.
“Today’s earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors,” Kamchatka Gov. Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on Telegram.
Solodov urged people to move away from the coast, saying the earthquake was the “strongest in decades” in the area.
Russian authorities have lifted their tsunami warnings but advise that the threat of waves and potential aftershocks — possibly reaching magnitudes of up to 7.5 — remains.
Reports of damage from the quake in Russia’s Far East have begun to surface.
Local officials on the Kamchatka Peninsula said several people were injured, including some who were hurt while trying to evacuate buildings. A kindergarten, which was out of commission at the time for repairs, was damaged.
Waves Across the Pacific
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said that readings from Midway Atoll, around 1,300 miles northwest of Hawaii in the North Pacific Ocean, showed a tsunami wave of around 3 feet arriving at about 6 p.m. According to historical records, this is the highest tsunami observation in open water ever recorded in the Northern Pacific.
Authorities urged people to stay out of the water, warning of strong and unusual currents.
Four-foot waves arrived at Kahului Beach on Maui island in Hawaii at 6:45 p.m. local time. Four-foot waves were also recorded at 6:48 p.m. local time at Haleiwa on Oahu’s northwest shores.
Oahu’s tsunami warning has since been downgraded to a tsunami advisory, according to the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management.
The department added in its post on X at around 11 p.m. local time Tuesday that evacuations had been canceled for Oahu, and residents may return home.
The HDEM urged residents to remain cautious in or near the water and to stay away from beaches, shorelines, and out of the ocean.
Widespread flooding was not expected, they said.
US West Coast
On the U.S. West Coast, the wave had been expected to hit around midnight local time, according to the NWS. Residents from Cape Mendocino to north of the Oregon border were told to evacuate.
On Canada’s west coast, the province of British Columbia issued a tsunami advisory for impact between 10:05 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. local time Tuesday.
“People in coastal areas that are at risk are advised to stay away from the shoreline and heed instructions from local authorities,” it said.
Japan Downgrades Alert
Following Russia, Japan was next to be impacted by the tsunami between 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. local time Wednesday, almost 1.5 hours after the quake was felt in Russia. Waves of 2 feet arrived at Hamanaka in Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Waves of up to 3 feet were forecast for parts of Hokkaido.
A tsunami of 8 inches was reported in Tokyo Bay. Shiji Kiyomoto from the JMA said that high waves may last for at least a day from the arrival of the first tsunami wave, urging residents to stay in safe places.
Several aftershocks ranging from 5.5 to 6.9 in magnitude have been detected off the Kamchatka Peninsula since the first big quake.
Japan has since downgraded its last remaining tsunami alert, but advisories remain in place for its Pacific coast.
Meanwhile, Chile raised its tsunami warning to its highest level, with the red alert covering most of its 4,000-mile Pacific coastline.
Russia’s Far East sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active region prone to major earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
About 12 hours before the 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the southern side of the Pacific Ring of Fire in the Macquarie Island region near Antarctica. Due to its remoteness, the U.S. Geological Survey issued a “green alert,” indicating a low likelihood of casualties or economic damage. No tsunami warning was issued following that quake.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
