An 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia caused a tsunami to strike coastal regions of Japan, Hawaii, Alaska, and the Kuril Islands.
Alaska and other southern shores toward New Zealand were under warning.
As the waves traveled south along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Tokyo Bay, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported that a tsunami as high as 60 centimeters (2 feet) had been detected.
Authorities warned of the possibility of larger waves later Wednesday and advised caution.
Authorities proclaimed a state of emergency in a number of localities, and reports of damage and evacuations were received in the Russian districts closest to the quake’s epicenter on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
Tsunami-driven tides build in northern California
According to the National Weather Service office in Eureka, as high tide drew near Wednesday morning, tsunami activity in northern California continued to increase. Maximum confirmed heights along the coast were 3.6 feet in Crescent City, 3.0 feet in Arena Cove, and 1.2 feet in Humboldt Bay.
The weather service warned on social media that tsunami activity will continue and that people should stay away from beaches and ports since the measures in Crescent City and Arena Cove were high enough to cause minor coastal flooding and inundation.
Hawaii and parts of Japan downgrade tsunami warnings
Hawaii lifted state-wide evacuation orders but maintaining a tsunami alert, while sections of Japan decreased tsunami warnings.
Hawaii officials said evacuated residents might go back to their homes.
The State of Hawaii Department of Defense’s Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan, stated that an advisory indicates the possibility of dangerous waves and strong currents, as well as flooding on beaches or in ports.
Russia declares state of emergency
On the Kuril Islands and in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the capital of the Kamchatka peninsula, the Russian government proclaimed a state of emergency.
They previously stated that multiple tsunami waves cut out power to the region and inundated the fishing port of Severo-Kurilsk, the islands’ capital. According to Russia’s Oceanography Institute, the city was struck by tsunami waves that were over 6 meters (19 feet) high.
Quake was among the strongest this century
According to the USGS, Wednesday’s 8.8-magnitude earthquake was one of the eight strongest since 1900 and one of the four strongest this century.
The majority of earthquakes worldwide occur along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a ring of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean.
The 2010 Chilean earthquake had a magnitude of 8.8, while the 2011 Japan earthquake and the 2004 Indonesian earthquake had a magnitude of 9.1.
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