Tsunami threat to Hawaii, US West Coast, Japan passes after Russia earthquake

Tsunami waves struck coastlines in Hawaii, California, Alaska and Japan on Wednesday after a powerful earthquake off Russia’s Far East triggered alerts across the Pacific. Authorities in several countries issued evacuation orders as water levels surged, though no major damage or casualties were reported in these areas.

The 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck at 8:25 a.m. local time in Kamchatka, a remote peninsula in Russia’s Far East that lies between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean. The quake was centered about 74 miles southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the region’s main city, at a depth of 12 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Kamchatka Peninsula sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is one of the most seismically active areas in the world. The quake, one of the strongest recorded this century, caused violent shaking across the region and triggered aftershocks as strong as magnitude 6.9.

In Hawaii, waves up to 1.7 meters (5.5 feet) were recorded, and water receded by up to 30 feet at Haleiwa Harbor on Oahu, The Associated Press reported.

Gov. Josh Green said authorities had activated helicopters and high-water vehicles in preparation for potential rescues. Flights in and out of Maui were suspended earlier in the day but resumed by evening. While evacuation shelters were set up in schools and community centers, no damage was reported.

Along the U.S. West Coast, tsunami advisories prompted warnings in Crescent City, California, where waves of 3.6 feet were observed. City officials turned on tsunami sirens and urged residents to avoid beaches and waterways. The National Weather Service warned of multiple waves continuing through high tide and noted that flooding was possible in low-lying coastal areas.

In Alaska, waves just under 1.5 feet were reported in the Aleutian Islands. Dave Snider from the National Tsunami Warning Center said that the impact could persist for more than a day due to the nature of tsunamis, according to NPR. He noted that they travel as fast as jet aircraft in deep ocean waters but slow and pile up near shores.

While speaking in Santiago, Chile, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said the threat of a major tsunami hitting the United States “has passed completely.” She added that officials are “in really good shape right now” and that they “were fully deployed and ready to respond if necessary, but grateful that we didn’t have to deal with the situation that this could have been.”

Russia’s Severo-Kurilsk, located on the Kuril Islands, was hit by four tsunami waves, including one as high as five meters, which partially flooded the port and a fish processing facility, according to Reuters. Power was cut off and boats were swept from their moorings, though local authorities reported no major injuries. Verified footage showed the town’s shoreline submerged and some industrial structures surrounded by water.

Japan issued evacuation advisories to nearly 2 million residents in 220 municipalities along its Pacific coast. Waves up to 1.3 meters (4.2 feet) were recorded in Iwate and Hokkaido, and ferries and train services were suspended in affected areas. One injury was reported in Hokkaido when a woman in her 60s fell while trying to evacuate.

China’s tsunami alert was lifted later in the day, as were warnings in Japan and Hawaii. However, Chile maintained a red alert for most of its 4,000-mile Pacific coast and began evacuating coastal communities. President Gabriel Boric urged calm and instructed residents to follow emergency guidance. The Education Ministry canceled classes in much of the country’s coastal regions.

Chile’s warning followed memories of the 2010 quake and tsunami that killed over 500 people. This time, waves of up to 3 meters (9.8 feet) were expected. Mexico’s Navy also warned of incoming waves of up to 3.3 feet along its Pacific coast, beginning in the north and moving south throughout the morning. Colombia ordered full evacuation of its Pacific beaches and restricted maritime traffic in coastal states near Ecuador.

French Polynesia issued evacuation orders for parts of the Marquesas Islands, anticipating waves as high as 2.5 meters (8.2 feet). French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu said armed forces were on standby to assist in rescue or medical operations. Waves were already reported in some areas by early morning hours, though others expected heights below 30 centimeters (11.8 inches), not requiring evacuation.

In Russia’s Kamchatka region, several people sustained minor injuries while evacuating or during the quake, including one patient who jumped from a hospital window. A kindergarten in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky suffered damage, but it was closed for repairs at the time. The city’s location inside Avacha Bay is believed to have shielded it from stronger waves.

Shortly after the quake, lava began to flow from the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano, the highest active volcano in the northern hemisphere. Scientists had observed growing lava buildup in the crater for several weeks. The Kamchatka branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported visible explosions and lava streams descending the volcano’s western slope.