A seismic event of significant magnitude, 8.8, occurred in the upper Pacific Ocean on Tuesday evening, leading to tsunami alerts for Hawaii, Alaska, and the West Coast. The earthquake’s origin was pinpointed to be about 74 miles east of Kamchatsky, situated on the southeastern coast of Russia’s Pacific Ocean peninsula. The quake, which happened at a depth of 11 miles, triggered a series of aftershocks, with some reaching a magnitude of 6.9.
The earthquake was recorded at 1:24 p.m. Hawaiian Time, and the initial waves have already reached parts of Russia and Japan. Honolulu residents have been advised to move to higher ground as the tsunami waves are anticipated to arrive in Hawaii around 7:17 p.m. HST.
To aid in the evacuation, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on the island of O’ahu has opened parts of its access roads. Governor Josh Green has called on Hawaiians to stay calm and evacuate coastal areas, recalling that no lives were lost during the 2011 tsunami, which produced waves up to 7 feet high.
Dr. Chip McCreery, a tsunami expert from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has warned that the threat is significant and could lead to flooding. He elaborated that the tsunami could cause sea levels to rise up to 10 feet above normal for several minutes before subsiding.
Alaska’s Aleutian island chain is also on tsunami alert, with waves expected to reach parts of Alaska by 4:46 p.m. local time. The Pacific Coast, including California, Washington, and Oregon, is under a tsunami watch, with waves expected to arrive around 11:40 p.m. in the north and approximately an hour later in southern California.
President Trump has addressed the situation on social media, encouraging those in affected areas to stay strong and safe. Evacuations are already in progress in parts of Russia and Japan, where the initial tsunami waves have started to hit the shores.
This earthquake is the third largest in the past 25 years and the largest since the catastrophic 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Officials are still evaluating the extent of the tsunami threat as the situation continues to develop.