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.
What to know:
- Hawaii under evacuation: Sirens blared in Honolulu as residents were urged to higher ground. “Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property,” the warning stated.
- Other tsunami warnings: The National Tsunami Warning Center, based in Alaska, issued a tsunami advisory for parts of California, Oregon and Washington. A tsunami advisory has also been issued for much of the coast of Canada’s Pacific Coast province of British Columbia.
- The earthquake: The quake, which struck 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. The quake was centered about 119 kilometers (74 miles) east-southeast from the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Multiple aftershocks as strong as 6.9 magnitude were recorded.
Tsunami activity continued to build in northern California as high tide approached Wednesday morning with maximum confirmed heights along the coast of 3.6 feet (1.1 meters) in Crescent City, 3.0 feet (.9 meters) in Arena Cove and 1.2 feet (.4 meters) in Humboldt Bay, according to the National Weather Service office in Eureka. The measurements in Crescent City and Arena Cove were high enough to create minor coastal flooding and inundation, the weather service said on social media, adding that tsunami activity will persist and people should avoid beaches and harbors.
Crescent City officials warned on social media that higher surges could arrive around high tide and could affect lower lying areas. They asked people to stay away from beaches and waterways.
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.
