Powerful 8.8 earthquake hits Russia: Tsunami waves hit Japan to Alaska, US issues warnings

Officials warned people to stay away from beaches and waterways in Crescent City, California, which has observed dozens of tsunamis since the 1930s, including one that killed 11 people and destroyed hundreds of buildings in the city in 1964.

Authorities in Russia's far eastern Kamchatka peninsula said Wednesday a tsunami warning had been lifted, more than 11 hours after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake near the region's coast prompted evacuations.

"Dear residents and visitors to the Kamchatka region, our colleagues from the State Emergency Situations Ministry have lifted the tsunami alert," the region's emergencies minister Sergei Lebedev said on social media.

Japan's weather agency on Wednesday evening downgraded tsunami alerts issued for a wide swath of the archipelago following a magnitude-8.8 earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, while keeping warnings unchanged for its northern areas.

Warnings for eastern Japan's Ibaraki region all the way down to the southern Wakayama region have now been downgraded to "advisories", Japan's weather agency said on its website.

The tsunami alert level for Hawaii - issued after the magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's eastern coast - has been downgraded to an advisory, authorities said Wednesday.

"Pacific Tsunami Warning Center REDUCED the alert level for Hawaii to a TSUNAMI ADVISORY," the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency said on X.

"Unusually strong currents and waves still possible close to the shore and in harbors. Officials are assessing damage but have NOT reopened coastal evacuation areas. Stay clear of these areas," it said.

Colombia ordered residents to evacuate beaches and coastal areas along the Pacific on Wednesday following a tsunami alert triggered by the 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia's eastern coast, authorities said.

"Tsunami alert for Choco and Narino," the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management posted on X early Wednesday, referring to two Pacific regions, adding: "Preventive evacuation of beaches and low-lying coastal areas is recommended."

Tsunami warnings have been triggered across multiple regions following a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s far east. Waves over 3 metres are possible near Ecuador, Russia, and the northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Moderate waves between 1–3 metres may reach Japan, Hawaii, Chile, Costa Rica, and other Pacific islands, while smaller waves of up to 1 metre are expected in places like Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Taiwan.

High threat (waves over 3m):

• Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

• Parts of Russia

• Ecuador’s coast

Moderate threat (1–3m waves):

• Chile, Costa Rica, Hawaii (main islands), Japan

• Other Pacific islands

Lower threat (up to 1m waves):

• Australia, Colombia, Mexico, New Zealand, Tonga, Taiwan

Country-specific alerts:

• Japan: 1.9 million people under evacuation

• Hawaii: Full tsunami alert; residents told to move to higher ground

• US West Coast: Public advised to avoid beaches and harbours

• China: Alerts issued for Zhejiang and Shanghai

• Peru: Authorities monitoring under active warning

Authorities in China have lifted the tsunami alert for Shanghai and Zhejiang provinces following the earlier 8.8-magnitude quake in Russia’s far east.

Taiwan alert remains in place

Taiwan’s tsunami warning is still active, with officials continuing to monitor coastal areas.

All flights in and out of Maui’s Kahului Airport have been cancelled, forcing passengers to shelter inside the terminal, according to Hawaii’s Department of Transportation.

“In the morning, those sheltering will be re-screened prior to departures,” the department announced on X.

Disruptions at other Hawaii airports

As of 8:30 pm HST, Hilo International Airport remained closed. Meanwhile, baggage screening has resumed at Honolulu’s Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, with inter-island and transpacific flights being staggered to manage the flow.

Tibet experienced a second shallow earthquake Wednesday, measuring magnitude 4.0, following an earlier 4.3 quake, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) reported. Both struck at 10km depth, increasing the risk of strong aftershocks.

The region’s seismic activity is due to tectonic plate collisions along the India-Eurasia fault line, causing frequent earthquakes and shaping the Himalayas.

Meanwhile, heavy rainfall in Tibet triggered floods in Nepal’s Rasuwa district, where a recent flash flood killed seven and left others missing. Authorities have issued warnings as water levels continue rising along key rivers.

Several people were injured during the earthquake on Kamchatka peninsula, mostly while evacuating buildings, including a hospital patient who jumped from a window. All are in satisfactory condition, officials said.

A cancer clinic’s doctors continued surgery amid shaking, and will be honoured for their efforts.

The quake damaged a local kindergarten in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, though it was closed for repairs.

Tsunami waves over 3 metres hit Severokurilsk on the Kuril Islands, flooding parts of the city and washing fishing boats into the sea. No major damage was reported. Power was cut off as authorities inspected the network.

The Kuril Islands remain disputed territory between Russia and Japan, delaying a peace treaty.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green announced that all flights to and from Maui have been cancelled as a precaution. He confirmed that airports have not yet been affected by any waves.

So far, there are no plans to shut off power ahead of any potential wave impact.

He also noted that no significant tsunami waves have been observed yet.

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.

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.

A tsunami wave over five feet struck Kahului on Maui’s north-central shore, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, CNN reports.

The fourth tsunami wave has reached Severo-Kurilsk in Russia’s Sakhalin region but was weak, local mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov told Interfax. The third wave caused the most damage—destroying port infrastructure and dragging vessels out to sea or ashore.

While the city itself, located on a hill, remains safe, a tsunami alert is still active for the port area. No casualties have been reported. Authorities had earlier evacuated the danger zone and declared a state of emergency following the quake.

A 4ft (1.21m) tsunami wave has been recorded at Haleiwa on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The waves are arriving in intervals of about 12 minutes, the centre added

Tsunami waves have started hitting US shores, with initial waves reaching Hawaii’s coastlines, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports. Water levels in Haleiwa on Oahu’s north shore have already surpassed 4 feet. Fluctuating water levels are expected as more waves arrive.

A tsunami 1.3 metres (4.3 feet) high reached a port in Japan's northern Iwate prefecture at 1:52 pm (0452 GMT), Japan's weather agency said.

The Japan Meteorological Agency kept its tsunami alerts that waves of up to three metres (9.8 feet) were expected along Japan's Pacific coast, after a magnitude-8.8 earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.

The warning disrupted railway and air services, including runway closure at Sendai airport and train suspensions along coastal routes. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant halted treated water release as a precaution. Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba ordered all measures to protect the public.

Tsunami waves are currently impacting Hawaii, according to an update from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The centre urges urgent action to protect lives and property, warning that the threat could continue for several hours.

The initial tsunami waves have hit Alaska, and a tsunami warning—the highest level of alert—is in effect for Hawaii and parts of the Aleutian Islands. The rest of the US West Coast is currently under a tsunami advisory.

Waves are expected to reach Hawaii shortly, with other Western states preparing for impact over the next few hours. The US Tsunami Warning Center has provided the following estimated arrival times (all in Pacific Time):

• Oregon and Washington: around 11:35 pm PT (10:35 am UAE next day)

• California: by 11:50 p.m. PT (10:50 am UAE next day)

• San Francisco Bay: about 12:40 am PT (11:40 am UAE next day)

• Los Angeles Harbor: around 1:00 am PT (12:00 pm UAE next day)

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has issued a warning of a possible minor tsunami—less than 0.5 metres—following a powerful 8.7-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. Coastal areas in Gorontalo, North Maluku, North Sulawesi, West Papua, Papua, and Southwest Papua are potentially at risk, with wave arrival times expected from midday. Residents are urged to stay calm and avoid shorelines while relying only on official BMKG updates.

A wave measuring 6 feet (1.8 meters) passed through Midway Atoll between Japan and Hawaii, Hawaii Governor Josh Green told BBC. He noted this measurement was from the trough to the peak of the wave. “We’re still expecting a significant wave,” he added, stressing that officials will only give the all-clear when there is “total safety.”

Tsunami evacuation sirens have been activated in Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa, with warnings across the island chain, reports Matangi Tonga Online. The northern coasts of Niua and Vava’u face threats from 10-11pm local time, with other areas also at risk. Tonga’s National Tsunami Warning Centre urges residents in threat zones to prepare to evacuate and mariners to move to deep water.

The mayor of Russia's northern Kuril islands district said Wednesday that "everyone" there had evacuated to safety following a tsunami which caused flooding and swept away buildings.

"Everyone was evacuated. There was enough time, a whole hour. So everyone was evacuated, all the people are in the tsunami safety zone," Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov said at a crisis meeting with officials.

Tsunami waves could strike Hawaii in “complicated patterns,” a seismologist told CNN, warning they’re unlike regular ocean waves. “It’s more like a torrent of floodwater,” said Helen Janiszewski of the University of Hawaii, noting they can surge inland in multiple episodes. Hawaii’s governor has urged coastal evacuations, stressing waves may “wrap around the islands.” Janiszewski added that local underwater geography could amplify or redirect the waves, making their impact harder to predict.

Russia’s Klyuchevskoy volcano has erupted, sending an ash column up to 3km (1.8 miles) above sea level, according to the Kamchatka Volcanic Eruption Response Team (KVERT). The ash plume has drifted 58km east, with experts warning that explosive activity at the summit continues and ash emissions could reach as high as 8km (4.9 miles).

KVERT noted the volcano's crater is nearly filled with lava, with flows expected soon. An orange aviation alert has been issued, although international air routes do not cross the area.

Tsunami waves are now being observed along Japan’s entire Pacific coastline, according to broadcaster NHK World. Some areas, including Kuji Port and Hamanaka town, have recorded wave heights of up to 60cm (1.9ft), steadily increasing from 20cm earlier in the day.

Authorities warn waves could rise to 3 metres (9.8ft), and have issued tsunami advisories expected to remain in effect nationwide for at least 24 hours.

Russia’s Sakhalin region has declared a state of emergency in the northern Kuril Islands, where dramatic footage showed tsunami waves flooding a coastal port town.

According to AFP, Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov confirmed that the entire population was safely evacuated in time. “There was enough time, a whole hour. So everyone was evacuated — all the people are in the tsunami safety zone,” he said.

Tsunami warnings or advisories have been issued across multiple regions worldwide, including:

• Russia

• Japan

• Taiwan

• The Philippines

• China

• Hawaii

• Guam

• California

• Alaska

• Oregon

• Washington

• British Columbia

• Mexico

• Peru

• Ecuador

Authorities continue to monitor conditions closely as waves travel across the Pacific.

Drone footage reveals tsunami flooding in Russia’s Severo-Kurilsk following a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake near Kamchatka Peninsula. The quake, one of the strongest recorded, triggered waves up to four metres across the Pacific, prompting evacuations from Hawaii to Japan. Videos show parts of Severo-Kurilsk submerged, with around 2,000 residents evacuated. While several minor injuries were reported, no serious casualties have occurred. Kamchatka’s governor urged residents to avoid coastlines and follow official warnings as authorities continue to assess the tsunami’s strength.

Japan’s meteorological agency has cautioned that tsunami conditions may continue for at least a day as waves up to 60 centimetres (2 feet) keep hitting the east coast, CNN reports.

“Based on observations of tsunamis from earthquakes of similar magnitude, we expect high tsunami conditions to continue for at least one day,” an agency spokesperson said Wednesday.

The agency also warned that tsunami waves can come repeatedly, urging residents to remain in shelters until all warnings and advisories are officially lifted.

So far, recorded waves have been much smaller than the initially forecast 3 metres, but officials say this could change.

Travel chaos is mounting across the US West Coast and Hawaii following tsunami warnings issued after a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s east coast.

Flights to Honolulu are facing disruptions, including diversions, delays, and cancellations, according to flight tracking service FlightRadar24. Several flights departing from Los Angeles, Vancouver, San Francisco, and San Diego bound for Hawaii were forced to return to their origin airports late Tuesday.

Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines have paused departures to the islands and are diverting some flights en route. Both carriers advised passengers to check flight statuses before travelling to the airport.

In a joint statement, the airlines said: “As a safety precaution, flights en route to Hawai‘i are returning to the mainland or diverting as needed. We are monitoring airport conditions with government agencies and could see operational impacts. A waiver is in place allowing guests to adjust their travel plans.”

Authorities continue to assess the situation as tsunami alerts remain in effect across the Pacific.

US President Donald Trump has urged residents in Alaska, Hawaii, and along the Pacific Coast to stay “strong and safe” following a powerful 8.7-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday.

The quake, located about 119km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, triggered tsunami alerts across multiple Pacific nations, including the US, Japan, Chile, Solomon Islands, and New Zealand. Waves up to 4 metres were reported near the epicentre.

In Hawaii, sirens sounded across Honolulu, prompting residents and tourists to seek higher ground. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre warned that hazardous waves could hit by 7 p.m. local time.

Trump posted on X, advising residents to follow official updates via tsunami.gov and take necessary precautions. Evacuations were carried out in affected Russian regions, including Severo-Kurilsk, after tsunami waves struck.

The Philippines and Indonesia issued tsunami advisories on Wednesday after a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula,” the BBC reported.

“The Philippine volcanology agency warned that waves under 1 metre could reach coastal areas by early afternoon. Residents in over 20 provinces were advised to avoid beaches and low-lying coastal zones.”

The report added: “In Indonesia, the meteorology and geophysics agency issued early warnings for parts of North Sulawesi, North Maluku, West Papua, and Gorontalo. While no evacuation orders have been announced, residents are urged to stay away from the shoreline and remain alert.

Ecuador has ordered preventive evacuations from beaches, docks, and low-lying areas in the Galapagos Islands following the 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s eastern coast.

Authorities also suspended all maritime activities as a tsunami warning was issued for the region, the Secretariat for Risk Management said late Tuesday.

China's tsunami warning centre said Wednesday that waves of between 30 centimetres and one metre were expected to hit parts of the eastern seaboard after a magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.

"Based on the latest warning and analysis results, the Tsunami Advisory Center of the Ministry of National Resources has determined that the earthquake has triggered a tsunami, which is expected to cause damage to certain coastal areas of China," the advisory centre said.

Peru issued a tsunami warning after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia's far east coast, according to the navy.

"After an analysis and evaluation by the National Tsunami Warning Center, it has been determined that this event generates a tsunami warning for the Peruvian coast," the Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation of the Peruvian Navy said in a statement, adding that the situation "will be kept under constant surveillance."

A safety alert was issued by the Indian Consulate General in San Francisco, cautioning Indian nationals in California, other US West Coast states and Hawaii on a potential Tsunami alert after a powerful 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula early Wednesday.

“The Consulate General of India in San Francisco is monitoring the potential tsunami threat following the recent 8.7 magnitude earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. Indian nationals in California, other US West Coast states, and Hawaii are advised to take the following steps,” Consulate General of India in San Francisco posted on X.

The Indian diplomatic mission advised Indian nationals in California, other US West Coast states, and Hawaii to follow local alerts by carefully monitoring alerts from US authorities, including local emergency management and the US Tsunami Warning Centers. It urged them to move to higher ground if a Tsunami alert is issued, avoid coastal areas, prepare for emergencies, and keep devices charged.

“Emergency Helpline number +1-415-483-6629 or reach through email on enquiry.sf@mea.gov.in,” the Indian Consulate General post added.

Mexico mobilised authorities at all levels of government to keep its population away from Pacific beaches due to a tsunami warning Tuesday, after a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Russia.

The Mexican Navy warned that strong currents are expected at port entrances from Baja California in the northwest to Chiapas in the south of Mexico.

After a huge magnitude 8.8 earthquake, with warnings in place around the Pacific of waves of over three metres (10 feet) in places.

Russia's emergencies ministry said a tsunami hit and flooded the port town of Severo-Kurilsk, where the population of around 2,000 people was evacuated.

Several people were injured in Russia by the quake, state media reported, but none of them seriously.

Live footage on Japanese television showed people evacuating by car or on foot to higher ground, including the northern island of Hokkaido, where the first wave, measuring 30 centimetres (one foot) was observed.

Wednesday's quake was the strongest since 1952 in Russia's Kamchatka region, the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported.

The epicenter of the earthquake is roughly the same as the massive 9.0 temblor that year which resulted in a destructive, Pacific-wide tsunami, according to the USGS.

At least six aftershocks have further rattled the region, including one of 6.9 magnitude and another listed at 6.3.

Japanese broadcaster NHK switched to special coverage, with presenters telling people on the coast to "please evacuate immediately".

Highlights: Tsunami hits Russian town

In Severo-Kurilsk, a coastal town in Russia, tsunami waves inundated the port area, prompting the evacuation of around 2,000 residents. Several people sustained minor injuries.

Japan on alert

In Japan, a 30cm wave reached Hokkaido, triggering tsunami alerts and evacuation orders across eastern and northern coastlines. The Japan Meteorological Agency has since upgraded its warning, predicting waves up to 3 metres from Hokkaido to Wakayama.

Region-wide precautions

• Workers at Fukushima nuclear plant were evacuated as a precaution.

• Train services along parts of Japan’s eastern coast were suspended.

• Multiple aftershocks, including one measuring 6.9, have further rattled the region.

Pacific-wide tsunami warnings

The USGS and US Tsunami Warning Centers issued alerts for hazardous waves across the Pacific basin. Countries potentially affected include:

• Russia, Japan, US (California and Alaska), Chile, Mexico, Ecuador, Taiwan, Australia, and Pacific islands, with expected wave heights ranging from 1 to 3 metres.

Governments urged people in coastal regions to evacuate to higher ground and stay away from beaches until further notice. Emergency agencies continue to monitor the situation closely.