A powerful 8.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the eastern coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula early Wednesday, prompting tsunami warnings and watches across the Pacific, including in Japan, Hawaii, Alaska, and along the U.S. West Coast.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported the earthquake occurred approximately 85 miles east of Kamchatka at a depth of 12 miles. The quake, which hit at 8:25 a.m. Japan time, was initially measured at 8.0 magnitude before being upgraded by both U.S. and Japanese seismologists. The region experienced additional aftershocks, including magnitude 6.3 and 6.9 tremors.
Following the quake, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) warned of waves between 1 and 3 meters (3 to 10 feet) above normal tide levels along the coastlines of Hawaii, Japan, Chile, the Solomon Islands, and Russia. The center confirmed that "a tsunami had been generated by the quake that could cause damage along the coastlines of all the Hawaiian islands."
"Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property," the PTWC alert stated. The first waves were expected to arrive in Hawaii just after 7:15 p.m. local time. Sirens were activated across all Hawaiian islands as part of the statewide alert system.
Officials told ABC News that the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency has activated its Emergency Operations Center and Joint Information Center. Authorities advised residents to evacuate coastal zones. "All shores of the island are at risk because tsunami waves wrap around islands," the National Weather Service warned.
The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for parts of Alaska's Aleutian Islands and a tsunami watch for California, Oregon, Washington, and the U.S. territory of Guam. Portions of the Alaskan panhandle are also under advisory.
In Japan, the meteorological agency issued a tsunami alert for Pacific coast regions, warning that a wave of up to 3 meters could strike Hokkaido around 10 a.m. local time. "People are warned to stay away from the coast and river mouths and not to approach the water to observe," the agency said.
Tass, Russia's state news agency, reported that residents of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city near the epicenter, fled buildings without shoes or outerwear as cabinets toppled and balconies shook. Power outages and mobile phone service disruptions were reported throughout the Kamchatka region. Evacuations were underway on Sakhalin Island, according to a local official quoted by Tass, and emergency services were "working at full capacity."
The latest quake follows a series of seismic events earlier this month, including five tremors near Kamchatka, the strongest of which measured 7.4. Historically, the region has seen major seismic activity; a 9.0-magnitude quake in Kamchatka in 1952 generated 30-foot tsunami waves in Hawaii but caused no fatalities.
