A tsunami watch is in place for the entire West Coast of the United States after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka region, with warnings also issued in Hawaii and Japan, where waves as high as 10 feet are forecast. The earthquake’s epicenter was off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It ranks among the top 10 strongest earthquakes ever recorded.

12:19 AM: Tsunami warnings, advisories issued for California, Alaska, Oregon, Hawaii

Live updates: Tsunami alerts issued for U.S. West Coast, Hawaii and Japan after 8.8-magnitude quake

The National Weather Service issued tsunami warnings and advisories across parts of California, Alaska, Oregon and Hawaii following the quake, urging people to avoid the coast and stay out of the water.

California: The National Weather Service issued a warning for the northern coast, from Cape Mendocino to the Oregon border, and issued an advisory for “all coastal regions in the Bay Area and Central Coast, including San Francisco and San Pablo Bays,” urging people to remain away from shore until local authorities say it is safe to return. First waves are expected to arrive 11:50 p.m. local time, the agency said, and last for 10 to 36 hours.
Alaska: A tsunami warning is in effect for a section of Alaska’s western Aleutian Islands, including the cities of Adak, Saint Paul and Atka, which face imminent threats from “dangerous coastal flooding.” A tsunami advisory was also expanded from the Samalga Pass to Chignik Bay.
Oregon: Tsunami advisories were issued for the North Oregon Coast, Central Oregon Coast and South Washington Coast, the NWS said, with waves expected to arrive between 11:40 and 11:55 p.m. local time.
Hawaii: The entire state is currently under a tsunami warning, with authorities warning that “destructive tsunami waves” are expected to hit at 7:10 p.m. local time.

By: Grace Moon

12:18 AM: Analysis from Niha Masih, Breaking news reporter focusing on U.S. and global events

Speaking at the briefing, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) urged civilians to immediately evacuate coastal areas and outlined preparations in the state. Healthcare facilities were ready for a mass casualty event, he said.

11:56 PM: Analysis from Niha Masih, Breaking news reporter focusing on U.S. and global events

At a Tuesday news briefing ahead of expected tsunami waves, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) said the earthquake off the coast of eastern Russia recalled the 9.0-magnitude Japan quake of 2011. “You can’t compare them directly, like apples to apples, but that created a seven-foot wave that hit Maui, causing $7.5 million of damage,” he said, adding that waves are expected to “not hit one beach, it will wrap around the islands.”

11:50 PM: Japanese officials urge evacuations; waves close to 1 foot reach Hokkaido

ASAHIKAWA, Japan — Japanese officials urged residents to evacuate affected areas and seek higher ground in the wake of tsunami warnings.

“We ask that everyone in areas where an alert has been issued immediately evacuate to a safe place, such as high ground or an evacuation building,” Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters Wednesday.

“Even if a tsunami arrives, there is a chance that second and third waves will arrive, which will be even larger, so I ask that you pay close attention to information regarding tsunamis and do not leave safe locations until the warning is lifted.”

Hokkaido prefecture in northern Japan has observed almost foot-high waves, Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said in a news conference Wednesday morning.

There were no reports of human, property or infrastructure damage, but emergency personnel are now responding to affected areas, he said.

Sendai Airport in Miyagi prefecture in northeastern Japan has shut down its runway, and 17 railway operators have closed 41 routes throughout the country so far, Hayashi said.

By: Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Chie Tanaka

11:46 PM: Analysis from Kelsey Ables, Reporter in the Seoul hub

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings said on social media that it has suspended dispensing ALPS-treated water following the tsunami advisory. ALPS, which stands for “advanced liquid processing system,” removes various radioactive materials from contaminated water and is being used at the site of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. TEPCO said there have been no abnormalities at its Fukushima plants, but it “will continue to closely monitor tsunami information and any impacts to the plants.”

11:29 PM: Analysis from Ben Noll, Weather, climate and meteorological data visualization

The most deadly tsunami occurred in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands in 1946, when 168 people died.

The most recent deadly tsunami on the U.S. mainland — a unique one caused by rapid changes in air pressure — took place off the shore of Lake Michigan, in Warren Dunes State Park, Michigan, in July 2003.

11:25 PM: Aerial footage shows residents evacuating to higher ground in Hokkaido

By: Julie Yoon

11:17 PM: Analysis from Andrew Jeong, Reporter at the Seoul hub

The U.S. military in Hawaii has opened Kolekole Pass for residents trying to evacuate the Waianae Coast, about 25 miles northwest of Honolulu’s downtown area. “Motorists looking to evacuate the coast will need to transit immediately through the pass entering Schofield Barracks, continuing through the Army base, then on to Kunia Road,” Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam said on X.

11:01 PM: Analysis from Emily M. Eng, Graphics Assignment Editor

Tsunami warnings were issued around the North Pacific after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Russia’s Kamchatka region.

10:55 PM: Analysis from Niha Masih, Breaking news reporter focusing on U.S. and global events

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) will hold a news briefing at 5 p.m. local time with emergency management officials to share details on the response to tsunami warnings issued for the state.

10:54 PM: Analysis from Niha Masih, Breaking news reporter focusing on U.S. and global events

President Donald Trump shared the U.S. government’s tsunami warning on social media following the major quake off the eastern coast of Russia. Trump asked civilians to monitor the latest information and wrote, “STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!”

10:37 PM: Analysis from Grace Moon, Breaking news reporter based in Seoul

The National Weather Service issued a tsunami advisory for coastal areas of Oregon after the earthquake, advising people to “move off the beach and out of harbors or marinas.” Dangerous waves were expected to arrive in cities including Port Orford, Charleston and Crescent City between 11:40 and 11:50 p.m. local time, the agency said.

10:22 PM: Analysis from Anna Fifield, China, Japan, the Koreas, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Japanese broadcaster NHK reported the first waves had started coming in at Nemuro, a city on the far eastern tip of Hokkaido, about 900 miles southwest of the epicenter on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Although the waves were only 11 inches high, Japan’s meteorological agency warned that waves can grow exponentially very quickly and this was a sign that waves would begin to hit elsewhere too.

10:21 PM: Analysis from Andrew Jeong, Reporter at the Seoul hub

Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency designated much of the state’s coastlines as evacuation zones. Traffic was heavy as people tried to move inland on the island of Maui, according to photos on social media.

10:05 PM: Quake near Russia likely among top 6 ever recorded

A kindergarten damaged by the earthquake is seen in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka Krai, Russia today.

The earthquake that struck off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula has been upgraded to an 8.8 magnitude, according to the latest data from the U.S. Geological Survey. That probably places it in the top six strongest on record, according to the agency’s historical data.

It was the planet’s strongest since the deadly and destructive earthquake in Tohoku, Japan, in 2011.

The strongest quake ever, at 9.5 magnitude, happened in Biobío, Chile, in 1960.

By: Ben Noll

10:05 PM: Analysis from Niha Masih, Breaking news reporter focusing on U.S. and global events

Authorities in the town of Severo-Kurilsk, in the Kuril Islands, have declared a tsunami threat and are evacuating residents, according to Russian state media agency Tass.

10:00 PM: Analysis from Niha Masih, Breaking news reporter focusing on U.S. and global events

Coastal areas in New Zealand are expected to experience “strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges” following the earthquake in Russia, the country’s national emergency management agency warned. “There is a danger to swimmers, surfers, people fishing, and anyone in or near the water close to shore,” the agency said. It advised people to move out of the water and away from harbors, marinas and rivers.

9:50 PM: Analysis from Ben Noll, Weather, climate and meteorological data visualization

According to the latest data from the USGS, the quake’s strength has been upgraded to magnitude 8.8, placing it in the top six strongest on record.

9:50 PM: Analysis from Andrew Jeong, Reporter at the Seoul hub

Hawaii authorities warned residents that the first tsunami waves were expected to arrive at 7:17 p.m. local time. The state’s transportation department advised people on the island of Kauai to avoid heading to Hanalei, a town on the north shore, to help those trying to evacuate. “Commercial operations at Hilo International Airport have been suspended to facilitate emergency evacuations,” it added.

9:41 PM: 8.7-magnitude quake strikes in eastern Russia

An 8.7-magnitude earthquake — one of the top 10 strongest ever recorded — struck near Kamchatka, Russia, on Wednesday local time and was detected on seismograms more than 5,000 miles away near Washington, D.C.

These primary waves (P-waves) from distant earthquakes are usually not felt by people, but they reveal the quake’s immense energy.

Tsunami warnings are in effect for Hawaii and Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, with tsunami watches issued for the entire West Coast of the United States and advisories for Guam.

An image of the seismograph from the Fredericksburg Observatory in Corbin, Virginia after the 8.7-magnitude quake in eastern Russia that struck at 8:24 a.m. local time Wednesday.

By: Ben Noll

9:39 PM: Japan Meteorological Agency warns of waves as high as 10 feet

Japanese authorities issued an evacuation order for coastal areas along most of the country’s Pacific coast, from Hokkaido in the north to Wakayama on the south coast of Japan’s main island.

The Japan Meteorological Agency forecast waves as high as 10 feet could hit as soon as 10:30 p.m. local time and warned residents on the Pacific coast to head to higher ground and remain there because there could be multiple tsunami waves. People on the western coasts were advised to remain alert and be ready to evacuate.

Japan experienced a devastating tsunami in 2011, when a 9-magnitude earthquake struck off the northeastern coast and triggered a tsunami that claimed nearly 20,000 lives and wiped out coastal towns. The tsunami also led to a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station along the coast.

By: Anna Fifield

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