A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, triggering tsunami waves that have hit parts of Russia, Japan, and the United States. The quake, which occurred 136km (84 miles) east of the coastal city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, has raised concerns about the potential impact on coastal communities.
Tsunami waves have reached California and Hawaii in the United States, with waves breaching the US mainland west coast at California’s San Francisco at 1:12am (08:12 GMT) Wednesday. The tsunami is also impacting the state’s coastal Arena Cove area and making its way further down the coast. In Hawaii, 1-1.2-metre (3.3-3.9 feet) waves began impacting the US Hawaiian Islands shortly after 8:00pm local time Tuesday, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC).
Governor Josh Green warned residents not to “put yourself in harm’s way” and readied for possible rescue operations. “We are not yet in the clear,” Green said, adding that authorities would wait several hours before being able to assess that the situation is safe. Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency said all commercial harbours have been closed, and flights in and out of Hawaii’s second-largest island of Maui were also cancelled Tuesday night.
The tsunami threat comes as the aftermath of the quake puts residents on alert in coastal areas of parts of Russia, Latin America, and numerous Asian and Pacific island states. Waves up to 4 metres (13ft) high have already struck Russia’s far-eastern Kamchatka region, causing some buildings to be submerged. Thousands of citizens in impacted islands have been evacuated, and Japan is bracing for damage, with evacuation orders issued for people living along coastal areas or rivers.
According to Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator with the National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska, the impact of the tsunami could last for hours or perhaps more than a day. “In this case, because of the Earth basically sending out these huge ripples of water across the ocean, they’re going to be moving back and forth for quite a while,” Snider said. Tsunami waves have also been detected by coastal gauges along Alaska’s east Aleutian Islands and the Pacific side of the Alaska Peninsula.