Tsunami waves have reached Hawaii after a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s eastern coast triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific, affecting countries from the US to Japan.
The earthquake early on Wednesday is one of the strongest ever recorded, already leaving several people injured in Russia, according to authorities, and at least one person in Japan. Ports on the Kamchatka Peninsula, near the quake’s epicenter in Russia, flooded as residents fled inland, and frothy, white waves washed up to the shore in northern Japan, while cars jammed streets and highways in Hawaii‘s capital.
Officials said tsunami waves as high as 6ft (1.8m) have been recorded near Hawaii, as they suggested even bigger waves could hit, warning “people can drown quite easily” in a force that “could take them out”. Evacuation orders have been issued for large parts of the US west coast, with authorities ordering people to “take action now” and get away from the sea.
A tsunami height of 3-4m (10 to 13ft) was recorded in Kamchatka, 60cm (2ft) on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, and up to 1.4ft (under 30cm) above tide levels were observed in Alaska‘s Aleutian Islands. The US National Weather Service said it had recorded waves in the Arena Cove and Monterey area in California in the early hours of the morning, local time.
The entire west coast of the US as well as Guam, the Philippines and the Northern Mariana Islands were alerted to watch for signs of dangerous waves, and parts of Canada, Russia, Indonesia, and Japan were also under tsunami alerts.
The National Tsunami Warning Center upgraded the tsunami advisory to a tsunami warning for Northern California’s coast from Cape Mendocino to the Oregon border, including Crescent City, where waves of 2 to 5ft could arrive, after the small community suffered deadly tsunami damage in 1964.
The rest of the Californian coast remained under a lower-level advisory, with smaller waves expected but still dangerous conditions. The National Weather Service in the San Francisco Bay Area was among those to issue warnings to residents.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the earthquake hit just before 1.30pm Hawaii Standard Time around 78 miles southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Russia.
Tsunami warning sirens sounded in Honolulu after Hawaii was upgraded from a tsunami watch to a tsunami warning. Governor Josh Green issued an emergency proclamation, activating response centres across California and urging residents to take the situation seriously.
A tsunami wave over 5ft has now been recorded in Kahului, on Maui’s north-central shore, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Tsunami waves as high as 6ft (1.8m) from peak to trough were measured at Midway Atoll, an area part of the way between Japan and Hawaii, according to data cited by Mr Green, who warned waves hitting his state could be even bigger. He said a tsunami of that size would be akin to a 3ft (90cm) wave riding on top of surf, which could move cars, dislodge trees, throw fences around – and cause people to drown.
Mr Green said: “The impact is at great speed. Any structure that gets loose and strikes the individual could take them out. And people can drown quite easily with the force of that kind of wave.” He added that Black Hawk helicopters have been activated and high-water vehicles were ready to go in case authorities need to rescue people.
Maui officials were shutting off water valves and wastewater facilities in coastal areas to prevent damage, advising residents to store water and expect low or no pressure, according to the County’s Department of Water Supply. Mr Green urged residents to stay off roads and avoid calling 911 unless necessary. Flights in and out of Maui are cancelled for the night, and commercial harbours have been closed as a precaution.
A 1.3-metre (4.3-foot) tsunami wave has hit Kuji Port in Japan’s Iwate prefecture, and the waves are continuing to grow, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. It said a tsunami as high as 60cm (2ft) had been detected as the waves moved south along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Tokyo Bay. Officials urged caution, also warning that bigger waves could come later.
People went to evacuation centers in affected areas of Japan, with memories fresh of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that caused reactor meltdowns at a nuclear power plant, although no abnormalities in operations at Japan’s nuclear plants were reported on Wednesday. The tsunami alert has disrupted transportation in the country, with ferries, trains and airports in the affected area suspending or delaying some operations.
A power grid in Sakhalin was damaged by the Kamchatka Peninsula earthquake, prompting a shutdown of electricity, Russia’s RIA news agency reported, citing the regional governor.
President Donald Trump warned in a post on Truth Social: “Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii. A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States. Japan is also in the way. Please visit tsunami.gov for the latest information. STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!”
The earthquake was initially reported as a magnitude 8 but the US Geological Survey upgraded it to an 8.7 and later 8.8.
Tsunamis are triggered by underwater earthquakes, which cause the seafloor to rise and drop, lifting water up and down. The energy from this pushes huge volumes of sea water that transfers to waves. While many people think of a tsunami as one big wave, in reality they are typically multiple waves that rush ashore like a fast-rising tide.
A tsunami watch is issued when there is a potential for a tsunami to develop. That alert can be upgraded to an advisory if monitors find reason to believe the waves generated by a potential tsunami are likely to be dangerous. A tsunami warning is issued when widespread water inundation or significant coastal flooding is expected from a confirmed tsunami.
Canadian officials also issued a tsunami watch for parts of coastal British Columbia.
Meanwhile, the Philippines and Indonesia issued tsunami warnings, with tsunami waves under 1m expected to reach parts of both countries on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
Mexico’s navy warned that tsunami waves will start reaching the northern coast in Ensenada, near California, at around 2.22am Wednesday (local time), and waves could progress along the Pacific coast to Chiapas state, around 7.15am (local time).
New Zealand authorities warned of “strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges” along all coastlines of the South Pacific island nation. The emergency management agency said people should move out of the water, off beaches and away from harbors, marinas, rivers and estuaries.
People were urged to stay away from coastlines until any wave surges passed late Wednesday in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia and Solomon Islands.
The Kamchatka earthquake is the sixth strongest ever recorded. It shares this rank with the deadly 2010 quake in Chile, which left over 500 people dead and caused widespread destruction and the 1906 earthquake off Ecuador and Colombia that triggered a tsunami, killing up to 1,500 people.
