One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded — a magnitude 8.8 — struck off Russia’s remote Far Eastern coast early Wednesday, triggering tsunami waves that reached Japan, Hawaii, and parts of the U.S. West Coast.
Several people sustained injuries, though none were reported as life-threatening, and so far no major structural damage has been confirmed.
Authorities warned that the risk of dangerous waves could persist for hours, urging millions of people in affected regions to stay away from coastlines or move to higher ground. While the immediate threat appears to have eased for Japan, Russia, and the United States, Chile — one of the world’s most quake-prone nations — raised its tsunami warning to the highest level for much of its Pacific coastline and began evacuating hundreds of residents.
Advisories remain in effect, with Chile’s coast under its highest tsunami alert. Hawaii has been downgraded to an advisory, and evacuation orders for Big Island and Oahu have been lifted. Even under advisories, officials warn of strong currents, hazardous waves, and potential flooding. Tsunami waves reached 3–4 meters (10–13 feet) in Russia’s Kamchatka region, 60 cm (2 feet) in Japan’s Hokkaido, and about 1.1 meters (3.6 feet) in Northern California.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake struck at 8:25 a.m. Japan time, about 120 km (75 miles) from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, at a depth of 21 km (13 miles). Multiple aftershocks, some as strong as magnitude 6.9, followed.
Officials continue to monitor the situation closely as aftershocks and shifting conditions pose ongoing risks across the Pacific.