8.8-magnitude earthquake triggers small tsunami along coasts of Russia, Japan, and Alaska

Tokyo, July 30

A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Russia’s Far East early Wednesday, triggering small tsunami waves along the coasts of Japan, Alaska, and other parts of the Pacific. Tsunami warnings were issued for areas including Hawaii, North and Central America, and Pacific islands down to New Zealand.

Near the quake’s epicenter on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, ports were flooded as people rushed to higher ground. In Honolulu, traffic jammed streets hours before the expected tsunami waves, even in places far from the shore.

Authorities urged residents along much of the Pacific coast to move to higher ground, warning that the tsunami risk could last over a day. So far, no major damage has been reported where waves have reached land.

In Alaska, small waves under 30 centimeters (1 foot) were recorded in communities like Amchitka and Adak. In Japan, waves up to 60 centimeters (2 feet) were seen in towns including Hamanaka in Hokkaido and Kuji in Iwate. Tokyo Bay experienced smaller waves around 20 centimeters (8 inches) hours after the quake.

Hawaii's governor said waves at Midway Atoll, between Japan and Hawaii, reached 1.8 meters (6 feet), but it was too early to know how big waves hitting Hawaii would be. Emergency crews were prepared for rescues but urged people to stay safe and avoid risky areas.

Oregon expected waves between 30 and 60 centimeters (1 to 2 feet) along its coast late Tuesday and warned people to avoid beaches and harbors. Similar tsunami alerts covered parts of Canada’s British Columbia, Washington, and California coasts.

The earthquake hit at 8:25 a.m. Japan time near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 180,000 on the Kamchatka Peninsula. It was followed by aftershocks as strong as magnitude 6.9. Residents in nearby areas took shelter on high ground, and some buildings and power lines were damaged. There were no serious injuries reported.

This quake is one of the strongest recorded globally in recent years, the biggest since the 9.0 quake off Japan in 2011 that caused a devastating tsunami and nuclear disaster.

In Japan, ferry services and some train operations were temporarily suspended, and the Sendai airport runway closed briefly. Residents in coastal towns evacuated to safety centers, recalling the deadly 2011 tsunami.

Japanese nuclear plants reported no issues. Workers at the Fukushima plant took shelter on higher ground while monitoring safety remotely.

The Philippines warned coastal communities of possible waves under 1 meter (3 feet) and advised people to stay away from the shore. Mexico’s navy issued warnings for its northern Pacific coast, advising people to avoid beaches.

New Zealand authorities warned of strong currents and unpredictable waves along the South Pacific coasts, telling people to stay off beaches, harbors, and rivers as waves were expected to arrive late Wednesday.

The Kamchatka quake was the strongest in the region since 1952. That earlier quake caused large waves but no deaths. Officials warned that aftershocks could continue for up to a month and advised against visiting some coastal areas.

Earlier in July, the region experienced several strong quakes, including one with a magnitude of 7.4 near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.