An Earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 off the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia triggered massive tsunami warning throughout the pacific Ocean to Japan, Hawaii and the West Coast of the United States.
The epicenter of the quake was 119-136 km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and the depth of the quake was around 20 km. The USGS calculated the magnitude to 8.8. This is the most powerful earthquake to have been witnessed in the region since the year 1952.
In Russia, waves up to 4 meters were observed in Severo-Kurilsk, flooding a port and damaging a fish plant. Structural damage included a collapsed kindergarten wall in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Minor injuries occurred during evacuations. A state of emergency was declared in the northern Kuril Islands, and multiple aftershocks followed, with magnitudes up to 6.9.
In Japan, tsunami waves of 30 to 60 cm were recorded in Hokkaido, affecting areas like Nemuro and Tokachi. Over 900,000 people in 133 municipalities were evacuated. Transport services were disrupted, and ferry operations and airport runways were suspended. The Fukushima nuclear plant reported no damage, and staff were moved to higher ground as a precaution.
In Hawaii, a 3-foot wave reached Midway Atoll. Evacuations caused congestion in Honolulu, and several flights were diverted. On the U.S. West Coast, tsunami advisories were issued from California to Alaska, with expected wave heights of 2–5 feet.
Other affected regions included Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, and New Zealand. No tsunami threat was reported for India or the Indian Ocean.
