An 8.8-magnitude earthquake, followed by powerful aftershocks, struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, triggering tsunami alerts and evacuation orders across several Pacific coastal regions.
The quake occurred around 11:30am local time, around 136km southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, and was the strongest in the area since 1952, according to the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The first tsunami waves reached Severo-Kurilsk in the northern Kuril Islands, washing away a fish processing plant and flooding a local port. A 3-4-meter wave was recorded in Kamchatka’s Elizovsky district, while Russia’s Oceanology Institute said waves near the epicenter in southeastern Kamchatka and the Northern Kurils may have reached 10-15 meters. All coastal areas were evacuated.
In Japan, tsunami waves were observed along the Hokkaido coast. The authorities initially issued evacuation orders for more than 1.9 million people across 21 Pacific coast prefectures but later downgraded several to ‘lower-level advisories’.
The US National Tsunami Warning Center issued an advisory for the entire US West Coast, as well as parts of Canada and Alaska. Elevated sea levels were reported in Washington, Oregon, and California, though no damage has been confirmed. In Hawaii, an initial warning was downgraded to an advisory, with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cautioning that sea level changes and strong currents may still endanger swimmers, boaters, and those near beaches, harbors, and marinas.
Tsunami advisories and alerts were also issued in the Philippines, Guam, Chile, New Zealand, and several other Pacific regions.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released an interactive map showing the quake’s epicenter and the spread of tsunami warnings, advisories, and threats across the Pacific.
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30 July 2025
The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency has issued an all-clear for the entire state.
French President Emmanuel Macron has warned that a tsunami is “coming” to French Polynesia, announcing on X that all government departments are “mobilized” to “protect our citizens.”
Earlier on Wednesday, local authorities issued a tsunami warning for the Marquesas Islands, with waves of up to two meters expected on Ua Huka, Nuku Hiva, and Hiva Oa.
Five earthquakes with magnitudes of 5.0, 4.8, 4.8, 5.3, and 6.0 were recorded in Kamchatka in just over ten minutes, according to the Kamchatka branch of the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Seismologists said the quakes struck between 212km and 402km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
Peru’s national emergency center has warned on X that the number of closed ports along the country’s coastline has risen to 126. The South American nation, with its long Pacific shoreline and several major cities along the coast, earlier issued a tsunami alert.
The US National Weather Service (NWS) in Los Angeles has issued a caution, strongly urging residents and visitors to stay out of the water, even in areas not currently under a tsunami advisory.
In a statement posted on X, the agency warned that dangerous currents are expected along the Southern California coast on Wednesday, posing a serious risk to swimmers and beachgoers.
The US National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) has canceled its advisory for the coastal areas of South Alaska, the Alaska Peninsula, and the Aleutian Islands. However, a tsunami warning remains in effect for a small section of the Northern California coast.
The Kamchatka earthquake ranks among the ten strongest ever recorded in the world.
The Chilean authorities have issued a tsunami warning for Easter Island, urging residents to evacuate to safe zones. The Pacific island, over 3,200km off Chile’s coast, is home to around 8,000 people.
No casualties have been recorded in Russia after the earthquake and tsunamis off the Far Eastern coast, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. The regional Health Ministry earlier reported several people with mild injuries but gave no exact figures.
Peskov noted that tsunami warning systems had worked “in a timely manner,” enabling necessary evacuations.
Tsunami advisories for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have been canceled, with Micronesia also declaring an all-clear, the local weather service said. However, it warned that “strong currents may still occur.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it has detected no safety impact on nuclear power plants along Japan’s Pacific coast.
The Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano in Russia’s Kamchatka Region began erupting following the morning quake, the local branch of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences has reported. Hot lava was observed descending the western slope, accompanied by a powerful glow and explosions.
Klyuchevskaya Sopka, the highest active volcano in Eurasia, is located about 30km from the village of Klyuchi in the Ust-Kamchatsky district, home to roughly 4,500 residents.
Japan has downgraded its last remaining tsunami alert in the north, though advisories remain in effect along its Pacific coast.
An expedition from the Russian Geographical Society has been caught in a tsunami on Shumshu Island, near the Kamchatka quake’s epicenter. The waves swept away their camp and belongings, but member Vera Kostamo told Komsomolskaya Pravda that all 30 people managed to reach higher ground safely.
Footage posted online has shown whales washed ashore on the coast of Hirasuna in Chiba, Japan, following the Kamchatka earthquake.
The tsunami alert in Russia’s Kamchatka Region has been lifted, the local government has announced.
Tsunami waves up to 2.3 meters are expected to hit the Peruvian coast later on Wednesday, the national emergency center has warned on X. The country, with its long Pacific coastline and many major cities along the shore, had earlier issued a tsunami alert.
Colombia has issued a tsunami alert for parts of its Pacific Coast, including Narino and Choco, the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management said. Beaches are being closed and safety measures enforced for maritime traffic.
“As a preventative measure, it is recommended to evacuate beaches and low-lying areas on the coasts of Narino and Choco,” the agency stated. “Head to higher ground away from the coast.”
The Philippines has lifted a tsunami advisory issued earlier for several coastal communities. “No significant sea level disturbances or destructive tsunami waves have been recorded,” the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said on Facebook, adding that any minor effects have largely passed.
Experts say the Kamchatka earthquake was so strong that its seismic waves have been detected in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Morocco – over 10,000km away. While not felt by people in those regions, the waves were recorded by highly sensitive instruments.
All US West Coast states – Washington, Oregon, and California – report elevated sea levels after the Kamchatka earthquake, though no damage has been reported. Forecasters earlier said any tsunami surge on the West Coast would likely be below half a meter (2 feet).
In the western Pacific, alerts for Guam and the Northern Marianas have been lifted.
Building inspections in Russia’s Kamchatka Region after the morning quake will be completed within a week, the regional government has said. Emergency services have already checked about 600 homes and found no need for evacuations.
Most damage was cosmetic, though several structures, including a local kindergarten, sustained more serious damage.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has downgraded tsunami warnings in several areas to “lower-level advisories,” though alerts remain for parts of Hokkaido and the Tohoku region, with locals urged to “exercise caution” until all are lifted.
Local authorities in French Polynesia have issued a tsunami warning for the Marquesas Islands, with waves up to 2 meters (8 feet) expected on Ua Huka, Nuku Hiva, and Hiva Oa. Residents have been urged to move to higher ground and follow official instructions, including securing or relocating boats.
The Russian doctors who continued a surgery during the Kamchatka earthquake will be nominated for state awards, Governor Vladimir Solodov announced on his Telegram channel. He instructed that documents be prepared to honor the oncology dispensary team, which completed an operation despite strong tremors. The patient is reported to be in good condition.
Surveillance footage widely shared on social media showed doctors and staff staying at their posts during the quake, holding the patient and equipment steady as the room shook.
Russia’s Oceanology Institute has said tsunami waves from this morning’s quake may have reached 10-15 meters (33-49 feet) along parts of the Kamchatka coast, with the largest near the epicenter in southeastern Kamchatka and the Northern Kuril Islands. Both regions, especially the Kurils, are sparsely populated.
Hawaii’s tsunami warning has been downgraded to an advisory, with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center stating that “a major tsunami is not expected to strike the state of Hawaii.” It cautioned, however, that sea level changes and strong currents may still pose hazards to swimmers, boaters, and people near beaches, harbors, and marinas.
A state of emergency has been declared in Russia’s Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky following the earthquake, with all emergency services on alert. Teams are inspecting buildings to assess structural stability.
A tsunami threat alert has been issued for Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.
New Zealand’s emergency agency has issued a low-level tsunami warning nationwide, warning of “strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges at the shore.” It urged people to leave the water, beaches, and harbors, and advised boaters to move ashore, warning against going to the coast to watch incoming waves.
The first tsunami waves have been detected in Monterey, California, according to NOAA data. The authorities have ordered evacuations for Monterey Harbor, Breakwater Cove, and nearby areas.
China, Peru, and Ecuador have joined the list of countries with tsunami warnings following the Kamchatka earthquake.
China’s Ministry of Natural Resources said waves up to 30 centimeters (1 foot) could damage parts of its eastern coast. Ecuador has ordered “preventive evacuations” in the Galapagos Islands.
A tsunami alert has been issued for Chile’s entire coast, including the Chilean Antarctic Territory, with residents in affected areas urged to evacuate to safe zones. As a precaution, the Ministry of Education has suspended preschool and school classes in all coastal communities from the Arica and Parinacota region to Los Lagos.
Tsunami waves have struck Orai in Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture, with footage online showing massive waves crashing onto the shore.
Tsunami waves up to 1.3 meters (4 feet) have been recorded at Kuji Port in Japan’s Iwate Prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency says. A timelapse video posted online shows the sea level surge.
The earthquake off Kamchatka has triggered a tsunami on Kuril Lake in the South Kamchatka Nature Reserve. No injuries have been reported, the press service says.
Reports say waves over 1.5 meters (5 feet) have hit Hilo, Hawaii, with footage online showing flooding at the seaside SCP Hilo Hotel.
A tourist has filmed dozens of Steller sea lions on Antsiferov Island in Russia’s Sakhalin Region trapped between tsunami waves and a landslide. The footage was captured by Nikita Sinchinov, a passenger on the cruise ship Professor Khromov.
Traffic jams have been reported across Hawaii as residents rush to evacuate to higher ground amid the tsunami alert.
US President Donald Trump has urged Americans in tsunami-threatened areas “to stay strong and stay safe” in a post on X.
Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency has issued an evacuation advisory for over 1.9 million people across 21 Pacific coast prefectures. No damage has been reported so far. Tsunami alerts have also been issued for the Philippines, Indonesia, and Taiwan.
The first tsunami waves have reached Hawaii, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) has reported. There are no reports of the impact yet.
Governor Josh Green earlier warned that waves of up to 1.8 meters (6 feet) are heading toward the state, calling them potentially very destructive.
“It can dislodge trees… 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,” he said at a news conference. All commercial harbors in Hawaii have been closed, and all flights to and from Maui have been canceled.
US TV host Oprah Winfrey is facing backlash on social media over claims she refused to open her private road in Maui, Hawaii, as thousands evacuate to higher ground due to the tsunami alert. Videos online show gridlocked roads and heavy traffic.
Three tsunami waves have struck a port in Severo-Kurilsk, tearing ships from their moorings and sweeping them into the strait, the district mayor told TASS.
Wednesday’s earthquake off the Kamchatka Peninsula was the strongest since 1952, the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences reports. Daniil Chebrov, the head of its local branch, called it “a unique event,” noting that the duration and intensity were driven by both the energy and size of the source. He said aftershocks are continuing but stronger tremors are not expected.
Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov has said the region experienced “the strongest tremors in the last decade” and confirmed a tsunami threat has been declared.
“The wave strength is being clarified. I urge everyone not to approach the coastline in tsunami-hazardous areas and to listen to announcements,” he stated.
Solodov also reported the collapse of a wall at a local kindergarten, noting no children or adults were present at the time. Preliminary reports indicate no casualties. He added that specialists have begun inspecting residential buildings: “If cracks are found that threaten the stability of structures, safe temporary accommodation will be provided in the near future.”
The first tsunami waves have hit the shores of Severo-Kurilsk, Sakhalin, with eyewitnesses reporting flooding of the Alaid fish processing plant. The authorities said a local port has also been flooded by a tsunami wave.
A tsunami wave 3-4 meters high was recorded in Kamchatka’s Elizovsky district, Emergency Situations Minister Sergey Lebedev said, urging residents to avoid the coastline.
Four flights were delayed at Elizovo Airport in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, where footage shows ceiling cladding and decorative panels damaged by the earthquake. Passengers were evacuated to the courtyard, with reports saying many hid under tables during the quake.
A video circulating on social media shows several residents taking refuge on the rooftop of a fire department building along the coast of Hokkaido, watching the coastline from above as authorities urged communities to evacuate low-lying areas eawlier on Wednesday.
A tsunami of 60 centimeters arrived at Hamanaka town on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido and Kuji port in Iwate on the main island – while a wave of 20 cm was detected in the Tokyo Bay, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
A tsunami measuring 50 centimeters (1.6 feet) was detected at the port of Ishinomaki in northern Japan, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Small tsunami waves were also observed surging upriver at Kujukuri Beach in Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, according to footage shared by NHK.
CCTV footage recorded at the Kamchatka Oncology Center captures the moment a magnitude 8.8 tremor struck during a surgical operation. Despite visible shaking and the clear danger, the medical team remained composed and refused to leave the operating room, according to a dramatic video shared by Kamchatka Health Minister Oleg Melnikov.
“Despite the danger, the doctors stayed with the patient,” Melnikov wrote on his official Telegram channel. “At the moment, the patient is doing well. I admire and thank our specialists for their professionalism and resilience under stress.”
At least four whales have washed up on the shore near Tateyama in Chiba Prefecture, eastern Japan, according to videos shared by local media.
Mexico’s Navy has warned that tsunami waves are expected to reach the country’s Pacific coastline beginning early Wednesday morning. According to a bulletin from the Navy’s Tsunami Warning Center, waves measuring between 30 to 100 centimeters (1 to 3.3 feet) are forecast to hit Ensenada, near the US border, at approximately 2:22am Central Time, before moving southward along the coast. The waves are projected to arrive in Chiapas state – near the border with Guatemala – by around 7:15am local time.
While the waves are not expected to be destructive, a tsunami advisory remains in effect for the entire Pacific coast. Authorities are urging residents and tourists to stay away from beaches until the alert is officially lifted.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has confirmed that a tsunami warning is now in effect along parts of the state’s North Coast, specifically from Cape Mendocino to the Oregon border.
“Please stay alert and follow instructions from emergency personnel,” the governor urged in a post on X, adding that the California Office of Emergency Services is coordinating with local officials.
Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency has issued evacuation advisories to more than 900,000 people across 133 coastal municipalities from Hokkaido to Okinawa, according to the Associated Press. It remains unclear how many residents have taken shelter. So far, no injuries or damages have been reported, officials said.
Emergency officials speaking at a press conference in Honolulu said Hawaii is “a couple of hours away from any impact,” and urged residents to “pay attention” and monitor official alerts closely. Hawaii Governor Josh Green has urged residents to "stay calm."
“If you are in a low-lying area, please get to higher ground,” Green said in a live address. “The roads are full – I ask that people stay calm, cooperate, and get to higher ground. If you are in a safe place, please stay there.”
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has advised residents along the country’s Pacific coast to avoid beaches and coastal areas. Tsunami waves under one meter in height are expected to arrive between 1:20pm and 2:40pm local time (0620–0740 GMT Thursday), the agency said. People in the affected provinces are urged not to go near the shore and to follow further instructions from local authorities.
Several people were injured in Russia’s Kamchatka, according to regional health minister Oleg Melnikov. While the exact number of injured remains unclear, Melnikov said that most victims sustained trauma while fleeing buildings during the tremors. One patient jumped out of a hospital window, and a woman was injured inside the newly built terminal of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport.
Drone footage of the flooded coastal areas of Severo-Kurilsk has been shared online by the Russian Geophysical Service.
A tidal rise of approximately one foot was recorded near Amchitka Island in Alaska, CNN reported, citing US monitoring data. This marks the first confirmed tsunami observation in the United States following the powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
All workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan were evacuated as a precaution amid widespread tsunami alerts, AFP reports.
“We have evacuated all workers and employees,” a Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) spokeswoman said, adding that “no abnormality” had been detected at the site.
The company, which operates the facility that suffered a triple meltdown in the 2011 disaster, also suspended the discharge of treated radioactive water from the plant, until tsunami warnings are lifted.
The US Geological Survey has revised its preliminary estimate of the earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka to a magnitude of 8.8 – a figure that, if confirmed, would place it among the ten strongest ever recorded. The initial jolt was followed by at least 14 powerful aftershocks, measuring between 5.1 and 6.9.
Officials in Hawaii have ordered an “immediate evacuation” of some coastal areas, including the state capital Honolulu. “Take Action! Destructive tsunami waves are expected,” Honolulu’s Department of Emergency Management said in a post on X.
Footage shared by local media and officials showed water reaching parts of the shoreline in the Russian coastal town of Severo-Kurilskand as tsunami sirens blared. There were no immediate reports of casualties, but the Alaid plant fish processing plant in Severo-Kurilsk has been submerged with all employees urgently evacuated from the facility.
The first wave hit the shoreline of Severo-Kurilsk shortly after a magnitude 7.9 quake was registered near Kamchatka Peninsula, according to Sakhalin Region Governor Valery Limarenko.
Walls collapsed at a kindergarten in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, according to videos from the scene, though no casualties have been reported.
Residents in Russia’s Far East have shared multiple videos of the initial tremors, showing strong shaking which caused furniture to rattle, household appliances to fall.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has also issued a tsunami advisory for wide areas along Japan’s Pacific coast, stretching from Hokkaido to Kyushu. The authorities have urged residents in coastal regions to remain alert and evacuate low-lying areas if necessary.
“An absolute tsunami alert on the coast of Avacha Bay!” the Russian emergency agency announced, warning of potentially hazardous waves along the Kamchatka shoreline.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued Tsunami Advisories for Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and the entire state of Hawaii.
The quake, initially measured at magnitude 7.5, was registered around 11:30am local time on Wednesday, approximately 136km southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, according to the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences.