Moscow: A devastating 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, triggering tsunami waves reaching up to 4 meters (13 feet) that crashed into coastal areas, according to emergency officials and international monitoring agencies. The powerful quake, sent shockwaves through the seismically volatile region, prompting immediate evacuation orders for coastal communities.
Tsunami alerts led to traffic jams in Honolulu in Hawaii, as warning sirens sounded and residents moved to higher ground amid strong earthquake in Russia. In Japan, a 50 cm (1.6 ft) tsunami was recorded at Ishinomaki port, the highest so far.
Power Grid Damaged In Russia’s Sakhalin After Powerful Quake
Electricity has been cut off in Russia’s Sakhalin region after the earthquake damaged the local power grid, according to the regional governor, reported RIA news agency.
Hawaii Governor Says 6ft Tsunami Waves Near Midway Atoll
Hawaii Governor Josh Green, according to media reports, said tsunami wave data from Midway Atoll — located roughly halfway between Japan and Hawaii — showed waves measuring 6 feet (1.8 meters) from peak to trough. He noted that it was still too early to determine the exact size of waves.
URGENT: People in Maui, Hawaii are trying to escape the tsunami and are BEGGING Oprah to open the private road on her property.
She’s reportedly still refusing.
In a crisis, blocking an escape route is inhumane.#Tsunami #Maui #Oprah #LetThemOut pic.twitter.com/JeqeVwDcyS— Baatein Stock Ki (@BaateinStockKi) July 30, 2025
Port damaged, vessels washed away
Three tsunami waves struck the Russian port town of Severo-Kurilsk. The third wave has been described as “powerful” by state-run TASS news agency. The wave damaged the port infrastructure and swept several moored vessels into the straits, reports claimed.
At least 4 whales have washed up along the coast of Japan, hours after 8.8 earthquake
Civilians seen on top of building in Hokkaido, Japan amid tsunami warning.
Tsunami Warning ⚠️ Russia, Alaska, Hawaii, Japan #earthquake #tsunami #Russia #Japan #Hawaii #Alaska pic.twitter.com/3BhfkszQjz
— Sumit (@SumitHansd) July 30, 2025
Russian emergency services sprang into action within minutes of the quake, with the Emergencies Ministry confirming tsunami waves had made landfall in several locations along the sparsely populated peninsula. “We have registered waves up to 4 meters in some areas and have activated all emergency protocols,” a ministry spokesperson told The Times of India. Evacuation efforts are underway in vulnerable coastal settlements.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially issued alerts for Alaska and Hawaii but later downgraded the threat level after determining the tsunami’s impact would be localized. Scientists noted the quake’s epicenter was located in the Pacific Ocean.
Residents in coastal villages reported feeling strong tremors before seeing the ocean rapidly recede – a classic warning sign of an impending tsunami. Local fisherman Ivan Petrov described the terrifying moments: “The water disappeared completely, then came back like a wall. We’ve never seen waves this big here before.”
The Kamchatka Peninsula, home to about 300,000 people, forms part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire” – a horseshoe-shaped zone notorious for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The region has experienced devastating tsunamis before, most notably in 1952 when a magnitude 9.0 quake generated waves that killed thousands.
As of Wednesday noon, no casualties or major structural damage had been reported, though authorities cautioned that assessments were ongoing, particularly in remote areas where communications remain spotty. Emergency teams were being deployed by helicopter to hard-to-reach coastal villages to evaluate the situation.
The incident has drawn international attention, with neighboring Japan and the United States offering assistance if needed. Russian President Vladimir Putin was briefed on the situation and ordered all necessary resources be made available for the response effort, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
280,000 residents evacuated in China
China’s Shanghai evacuated over 280,000 residents, cancelled hundreds of flights and ferry services, and enforced speed restrictions on roads and railways as a tropical storm brought strong winds and heavy rainfall to eastern China, reported the Hindustan Times.
The storm, Co-May, made landfall in the early hours in Zhoushan, a port city in Zhejiang province. Shortly afterwards, authorities issued a tsunami warning triggered by a powerful earthquake off Russia’s far eastern coast, heightening fears of potentially stronger storm surges along China’s shoreline.
More than 1.9 million people across Japan advised to relocate to safer places
More than 1.9 million people across Japan have been advised to relocate to safer areas as tsunami waves reached various parts of the coastline. It disrupted the transportation nationwide — although the waves have so far been smaller than earlier predictions, CNN reported.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency has issued targeted evacuation directives impacting 1,905,596 residents in 21 prefectures. Hokkaido, Kanagawa, and Wakayama are on priority list.
Japan’s public broadcaster NHK broadcast footage showing white-crested waves lapping the shores of Hokkaido in the north and the eastern coastal areas of Ibaraki and Chiba, near Tokyo.
A tsunami measuring 50 centimetres (1.6 feet) was recorded at Ishinomaki port in northern Japan, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported. This is the largest wave height observed so far across several northern coastal areas.
Alert for coastline of the US
The National Tsunami Warning Centre has issued a tsunami advisory for the entire western coastline of the United States. The alert has been extended into parts of Canada and Alaska.
The advisory covers coastal areas from the US-Mexico border in California, northward through Oregon and Washington, into British Columbia, and further up to South Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula.
https://t.co/VKCYn0ii0H pic.twitter.com/wFkQTRvEMf
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 30, 2025
