A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific Ocean. The quake, which occurred at a depth of 19.3 km, was centered 119 km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 165,000. Russian scientists described it as the most powerful to hit the region since 1952. Tsunami waves flooded the port town of Severo-Kurilsk, with waves exceeding 3 meters, and the largest reaching up to 5 meters, according to Russia’s RIA news agency.
The tsunami warnings extended to several countries, including Japan, Hawaii, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, and the Philippines. In Japan, nearly two million people were advised to evacuate, and many left by car or on foot to higher ground. The Japanese government initially issued tsunami warnings for waves up to 3 meters but later downgraded them. Hawaii also issued a tsunami warning, later downgraded to an advisory, with waves exceeding 3 meters above the tide level possible along some coasts.
The quake damaged buildings and injured several people in the remote Russian region. Russian authorities declared a state of emergency in the northern Kuril Islands, where tsunami waves damaged buildings. The mayor of Severo-Kurilsk urged residents to assess damage to their homes and avoid using gas stove heating until inspections were carried out. Drone footage showed the town’s shoreline submerged, with taller buildings and storage facilities surrounded by water as the tsunami wave receded.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned of hazardous tsunami waves along the coasts of Ecuador, northwestern Hawaiian islands, and Russia. Waves of up to 4 meters were expected in French Polynesia, specifically in the Marquesas Islands. The quake was one of the 10 strongest earthquakes ever recorded, according to the US Geological Survey.
