A tsunami sent powerful waves toward coastal areas of Russia’s Kuril Islands, Japan and Hawaii and Alaska after a powerful, 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia early Wednesday. Warnings are also in place for Alaska and other coasts south toward New Zealand.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami as high as 60 centimeters (2 feet) had been detected as the waves moved south along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Tokyo Bay. Officials urged caution, saying that bigger waves could come later.
Damage and evacuations were reported in the Russian regions nearest the quake’s epicenter on the Kamchatka Peninsula and officials declared a state of emergency in several areas.
Here’s the latest:
Hawaii and parts of Japan downgrade tsunami warnings
Hawaii and parts of Japan downgraded tsunami warnings, with Hawaii lifting evacuation orders across the state while leaving a tsunami advisory in place.
Officials in Hawaii said residents who had evacuated could return to their homes.
Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan, the Adjutant General of the State of Hawaii Department of Defense, said an advisory means there is the potential for strong currents and dangerous waves, as well as flooding on beaches or in harbors.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency downgraded its tsunami alert to an advisory in the Pacific coast south of Fukushima, with the alert still in place farther north.
Russia declares state of emergency in areas hit by earthquake
The Russian authorities declared a state of emergency on the Kuril Islands and in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the main city on the Kamchatka peninsula.
They earlier reported that several tsunami waves flooded the fishing port of Severo-Kurilsk, the main city on the islands, and cut power supplies to the area. Russia’s Oceanography Institute said tsunami waves that hit the city topped 6 meters (19 feet).
Japan asserts territorial rights to the four Pacific islands it calls the Northern Territories. They were taken by the Soviet Union in the final days of World War II, and the dispute has kept the countries from signing a peace treaty.
In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, local officials said that municipal workers had checked about 600 apartment buildings and found no major damage that would require evacuations. The inspections are continuing.
The city is located on the coast of Avacha Bay, which protects it from waves.
The Oceanology Institute said that tsunami waves might have been as high as 10-15 meters (33-49 feet) in some sections of the sparsely populated Kamchatka coast.
8.8-magnitude quake was among the strongest this century
Wednesday’s 8.8-magnitude quake was among the four strongest earthquakes this century, and among the eight strongest since 1900, according to the USGS.
The earthquake occurred along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the ring of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.
The 2011 Japan quake and the 2004 earthquake off Indonesia were 9.1 magnitude, and a 2010 earthquake in Chile also was recorded at 8.8 magnitude.
Japanese official warns evacuees they might not be able to return home by day’s end
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told evacuees in the tsunami-affected areas that they might not be able to return home by the end of the day on Wednesday.
Hayashi said waves could remain high for at least one day, and he urged evacuees to take precautions and stay well hydrated in the summer heat.
Damage and minor injuries reported in Russian Far East
Local authorities on Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula said several people were injured during the massive quake, but didn’t give an exact number.
Oleg Melnikov, head of the regional health department, said a few people hurt themselves while rushing to leave buildings and a hospital patient received an injury while jumping out of a window. Melnikov said that all injured people were in satisfactory condition.
A video released by Russian media outlet showed a team of doctors at a cancer clinic on Kamchatka holding a patient and clutching medical equipment as the quake rocked an operating room, before continuing with surgery after the shaking stopped. Officials said the doctors will receive decorations.
In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka’s regional capital, the quake damaged a local kindergarten, which was not in operation due to ongoing repair work.
The Russian authorities said that tsunami waves topping 3 meters (10 feet) hit Severokurilsk, the main city on the Pacific archipelago that Russia calls the Kuril Islands.
Severokurilsk Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov said the city’s was flooded by four tsunami waves, which washed fishing boats into the sea, but no major damage was recorded in the city. Power supplies were shut off and the authorities were checking the power network after the flooding.
Japan also asserts territorial rights to the islands it calls the Northern Territories, which were taken by the Soviet Union in the final days of World War II. The dispute has kept the countries from signing a peace treaty.
Water recedes at Hawaii beaches as tsunami reaches Oahu
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said officials observed water receding by 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 meters) at Haleiwa Harbor on Oahu, the state’s most populous island, an indication tsunami waves will arrive. The waves pulling out left boats to lay on dry rock and sand. “That gave us pause,” Green said.
So far no damage has been recorded, but it will take two to three hours of observation before authorities will be able to determine whether the event has passed, Green said.
Pacific island nations urge people to avoid coastlines
Authorities in a number of small island nations in the South Pacific Ocean urged people to stay away from coastlines, familiarize themselves with evacuation routes and await further guidance from officials, but did not order evacuations.
Some tiny and low-lying Pacific island chains are among the world’s most imperiled by tsunamis and rising seas.
Cautions to stay away from beaches until any wave surges passed late Wednesday were issued by officials in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia and Solomon Islands.
Nearly 2 million people under evacuation advisories in Japan
Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said nearly 2 million residents are now under evacuation advisories in more than 220 municipalities along the Pacific coast as of midday Wednesday.
It added that one person was slightly injured on the northern island of Hokkaido when a woman in her 60s fell while rushing to evacuate. She was taken to a hospital.
Governor says Hawaii is ready for evacuations
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said data from Midway Atoll, which is part of the way between Japan and Hawaii, measured tsunami waves from peak to trough of 6 feet (1.8 meters).
He said waves hitting Hawaii could be bigger or smaller and it was too early to tell how large they would be. A tsunami of that size would be akin to a three foot (90 centimeter) wave riding on top of surf, he said.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said data from Midway Atoll, which is part of the way between Japan and Hawaii, measured tsunami waves from peak to trough of 6 feet (1.8 meters).
He said waves hitting Hawaii could be bigger or smaller and it was too early to tell how large they would be. A tsunami of that size would be akin to a three foot (90 centimeter) wave riding on top of surf, he said.
He told a new conference that a wave that size could move cars and throw fences around.
“It can dislodge trees, that’s why you can’t just be out there. The impact is at great speed,” Green said. “Any 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.”
Green said Black Hawk helicopters have been activated and high-water vehicles were ready to go in case authorities need to rescue people.
“But please do not put yourself in harm’s way,” he said.
Tsunami sirens sound in remote California city
The small Northern California community of Crescent City turned on its tsunami sirens to warn residents about possible waves.
“You are hearing a Tsunami Siren. We are under a Tsunami Warning. Please stay away from beaches and waterways. A predicted wave may hit at 11:55 pm. We are waiting on additional information about any level of evacuation,” read a post from the City Hall Facebook account.
The city in rural Northern California has roughly 6,000 residents.
A tsunami in 1964 caused by an earthquake in Alaska caused a wave 21 feet (6.4 meters) high to hit the city, killing 11 people and destroying its downtown.
Lines form at Honolulu gas stations
There were long lines at gas stations near downtown Honolulu, with standstill traffic even in areas away from the shoreline.
A Texaco gas station in the Nuuanu-Punchbowl neighborhood closed early so that workers could go home. The workers set out cones at pumps and turned away motorists.
Jimmy Markowski, on a family vacation from Hot Springs, Arkansas, ended up at the closed Texaco station after fleeing their Waikiki beach resort in a caravan of three cars carrying 15 people.
“All we’re trying to do is just figure out what we’re going to do for the next three or four hours,” he said. “We’ve got water, we got some snacks … we’re going to stay elevated. This is our first tsunami warning ever. So this is all new to us.”
Honolulu resident Kale Aʻi stopped at the station after spending more than an hour on what would normally be a 12-minute drive from his home near the coast. He was trying to get to his grandfather’s house further inland.
“I’ve always tried to be a little bit more cautious because it’s better to be safe than sorry,” he said.
Larger swells hit Japan
A tsunami of 60 centimeters (2 feet) arrived at Hamanaka town on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido and Kuji port in Iwate on the main island, up from the earlier tsunami of 40 cm (1.3 ft), according to the JMA. A tsunami of 20 cm (7.9 inches) was detected in the Tokyo Bay, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Shiji Kiyomoto, a JMA earthquake and tsunami response official, said second or third tsunami waves of tsunami had arrived. Kiyomoto did not say when tsunami alerts would be lifted, and said high waves may last for at least a day, urging residents to stay at safe places.
What is a tsunami?
Tsunamis are waves triggered by earthquakes, underwater volcanic eruptions and submarine landslides. After an underwater earthquake, the seafloor rises and drops, which lifts water up and down. The energy from this pushes sea water that transfers to waves.
Many people think of tsunamis as one wave. But they are typically multiple waves that rush ashore like a fast-rising tide.
Some tsunamis are small and don’t cause damage. Others can cause massive destruction. In 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Indonesia, causing waves that leveled remote villages, ports and tourist resorts along the Indian Ocean across Southeast and South Asia.
Tsunami warning issued for parts of China
China’s Ministry of Natural Resources’ Tsunami Warning Center has issued an alert for parts of the country’s east coast along Shanghai and Zhejiang provinces.
The warning forecasts that waves could reach between 0.3 to 1 meter (1 to 3 feet).
Shanghai and Zhejiang are already under alert as Typhoon CoMay is expected to land in the Zhejiang province Wednesday.
‘A series of powerful waves’
Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator with the National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska, said Tuesday evening he had not heard of any specific reports of damage from the tsunami generated by the 8.8-magnitued earthquake.
Forecasted maximum tsunami heights ranged from less than 1 foot to about 5 feet (less than 30 centimeters to 1.5 meters) across parts of Alaska, Oregon, Washington and California, with higher levels projected in isolated areas.
The center said some places could still be feeling impacts from the tsunami for hours or perhaps more than a day.
“A tsunami is not just one wave,” Snider said. “It’s a series of powerful waves over a long period of time. Tsunamis cross the ocean at hundreds of miles an hour — as fast as a jet airplane — in deep water. But when they get close to the shore, they slow down and start to pile up. And that’s where that inundation problem becomes a little bit more possible there.”
Hawaii authorities set up evacuation shelters at schools and community centers
Honolulu won’t operate bus trips scheduled to start after 6 p.m. local time. Drivers still on routes after that and who are in inundation zones will head to higher ground.
“We want everyone to stay safe,” said Honolulu Fire Department Chief Sheldon Hao. ”Evacuate early so you don’t put yourself in a tough situation.”
US National Weather Service warns people against going to the coast to look for tsunami waves
“This will NOT be a single wave. Do NOT try to go to the coast to take photos,” the National Weather Service San Francisco Bay Area office posted on X.
The agency warned people could put themselves and any rescue teams that may be out at risk.
The Bay Area is under a tsunami advisory. Communities further north are under a warning.
Tsunami forecast to hit parts of Vancouver Island, British Columbia
The province’s emergency preparedness agency said waves of less than 30 centimeters (less than 1 foot) were expected to reach Tofino around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday local time. A tsunami advisory spans much of British Columbia’s coast and the agency said “multiple waves over time” were expected. The waves are expected to first reach remote Langara Island around 10:05 p.m.
The agency said local governments should consider evacuating marinas, beaches and other areas near the ocean.
Mexico’s Navy warns Pacific coast to anticipate tsunami waves
Mexico’s Navy says waves between 30 to 100 centimeters (1 to 3.3 feet) are expected on the Mexican Pacific coast after the tsunami set off by the 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Russia’s Far East.
In a report, the Navy’s tsunami warning center said the waves will begin to reach the northern coast in Ensenada, near California, at around 2:22 a.m. Wednesday central time in Mexico, and it will continue south along the Pacific coast until it reaches the Chiapas states around 7:15 a.m. local time.
The Pacific coast remains under a tsunami advisory, and the Navy recommended people stay away from the beaches until it suspends an alert.
900,000 people under evacuation advisories in Japan
Japan’s Fire an Disaster Management Agency said so far no injuries or damage have been reported.
The agency, in response to the tsunami alert, issued an evacuation advisory to more than 900,000 residents in 133 municipalities along Japan’s Pacific coast, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. The number of people who actually took shelter was not available.
A tsunami of 50 centimeters (1.6 feet) was detected at the Ishinomaki, the highest detected so far in the aftermath of Wednesday’s earthquake, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
The strongest quake in over a decade
The earthquake at 8:25 a.m. Japan time had a preliminary magnitude of 8.0, Japan and U.S. seismologists said. The U.S. Geological Survey later updated its measurement to 8.8 magnitude.
It appears to be the strongest anywhere in the world since the March 2011 quake off northeast Japan that was 9.0 magnitude and caused a massive tsunami that set off meltdowns at a nuclear power plant.
Only a few stronger earthquakes have ever been measured around the world.
Connections restored in Russian peninsula hit hard by the earthquake
Internet and phone connections have been restored in Kamchatka following the massive earthquake, according to the Russian news agency Tass.
Videos posted on social media showed the façade of a collapsed kindergarten in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. No casualties were reported.
A port in Severo-Kurilsk, on the Kuril Islands in the Pacific, was flooded after a tsunami wave hit the area.
Russian news agencies quoting the regional Health Ministry said several people sought medical help in Kamchatka after the earthquake, but no serious injuries were reported.
Tsunami alert in Japan complicates transportation
Ferries connecting Hokkaido and Aomori on the northern tip of Japan’s Honshu island were suspended, as well as those connecting Tokyo and nearby islands.
Some local train operations have been suspended or delayed as well, according to operators.
Sendai airport says its runway has been temporarily closed.
Tsunami waves detected at multiple points on Japan’s Pacific coast
Japan Meteorological Agency says a tsunami as high as 40 centimeters (1.3 feet) has been detected at 16 locations as the waves have moved south along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido down to just northeast of Tokyo.
Officials urge residents to use caution as bigger waves could come later.
New Zealand warns of ‘strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges’ along its coastlines
New Zealand authorities issued warnings of “strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges” along all coastlines of the South Pacific island nation.
Waves were not expected to arrive until late Wednesday night local time, officials said.
The alert sent to New Zealanders’ phones by the government emergency management agency said people should move out of the water, off beaches and shore areas and away from harbors, marinas, rivers and estuaries, but officials stopped short of issuing evacuation warnings.
Japanese nuclear power plants stop work
Japanese nuclear power plants along the Pacific coasts have suspended their work schedule in response to the tsunami alert, but so far no abnormalities have been reported.
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which operates the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, said about 4,000 workers are taking shelter at higher grounds on the plant complex while monitoring remotely to ensure plant safety.
Its release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea is also temporarily suspended as a cautionary step.
Russian scientists call the earthquake a ‘unique event’
The 8.8-magnitude earthquake was the strongest to hit that area in Kamchatka since 1952, according to the local branch of the Geophysical Survey of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
In a statement posted on their Telegram channel, they called the earthquake a “unique event.” They said the epicenter was near a recent earthquake that struck the peninsula on July 20.
While the situation “was under control,” they said there are risks of aftershocks, which could last for up to a month, and warned against visiting certain coastal areas.
Oregon officials say small tsunami expected to reach the state’s coastline
The Oregon Department of Emergency Management said on Facebook that small tsunami waves were expected to reach parts of the state’s coastline starting around 11:40 p.m. local time, with wave heights between 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters).
It urged people to stay away from beaches, harbors and marinas and to remain in a safe location away from the coast until the advisory is lifted.
“This is not a major tsunami, but dangerous currents and strong waves may pose a risk to those near the water,” the department said.
Oregon is under a tsunami advisory, along with much of the U.S. West Coast spanning British Columbia, Washington state and California.
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This item has been updated to correct that wave heights are expected to reach between 1 and 2 feet, not 1 and 3 feet.
The Philippines warns residents of possible tsunami waves
Philippine authorities warned provinces and towns along the archipelago’s eastern coast facing the Pacific of possible tsunami waves of less than 1 meter (3 feet) that could hit between 1:20 p.m. to 2:40 p.m. (local time) and advised people to stay away from the beach and coastal areas.
“It may not be the largest of waves, but these can continue for hours and expose people swimming in the waters to danger,” Teresito Bacolcol of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology told The Associated Press.
First waves hit Hokkaido in Japan and Russia’s Kuril Islands
The Japan Meteorological Agency said a first tsunami wave of about 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) reached Nemuro on the eastern coast of Hokkaido.
The first tsunami wave hit the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk, the main settlement on Russia’s Kuril Islands in the Pacific, according to the local governor Valery Limarenko.
He said residents were safe and staying on high ground until the threat of a repeat wave was gone.
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