Magnitude quake strikes Russia’s far east, triggers tsunami warnings across Pacific

Moscow.- A massive 8.8‑magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula at around 6:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, sending tsunami waves racing toward Japan, Hawaii, the U.S. West Coast and beyond. Ports near Petropavlovsk‑Kamchatsky flooded as residents evacuated inland, and 3–4‑meter surges were recorded on Kamchatka.

In northern Japan, frothy waves up to 60 cm high washed ashore on Hokkaido, prompting evacuations at shelters still haunted by the 2011 disaster. Russia’s emergencies ministry reported several injuries, while Japanese authorities said one person was hurt and confirmed no damage at nuclear plants.

Hawaii downgraded its tsunami warning to an advisory after Midway Atoll recorded six‑foot peaks, though strong currents and beach flooding remain a threat, warned Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan of the Hawaii Department of Defense. Alaska’s Aleutian Islands saw under 30 cm surges, and the Oregon coast prepared for one‑ to two‑foot waves starting late Tuesday night.

U.S. West Coast communities from California to Washington, as well as British Columbia in Canada, are under advisories, with officials urging everyone to stay off beaches and away from harbors until the series of waves—capable of arriving for more than a day—passes.