Topline
Tsunami waves reached the coast of northern California early on Wednesday, as authorities downgraded warning levels in Hawaii and parts of Japan, hours after powerful waves—triggered by a magnitude 8.8 earthquake in Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula—hit Pacific coastlines in Asia and North America.
Oahu residents evacuate Ewa Beach to the side of Kunia Road due to the threat of tsunami in Kapolei, ... More
The National Weather Service’s Eureka, California office tweeted: “Tsunami activity is continuing to build this morning,” and added waves as high as 3.6 feet have been detected in Crescent City, near the Oregon border.
The NWS Bay Area reported slightly smaller waves but warned: “This can create some seriously dangerous currents along beaches and harbors. It's just a good idea to stay away from the water today!”
The agency’s Seattle office also noted that tsunami waves continued to arrive “along the coast as well as Strait of Juan de Fuca.”
Shortly before this, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency announced: “The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has downgraded the Tsunami Warning for the state of Hawaii to a Tsunami Advisory,” a few hours after waves triggered by the earthquake first hit the state’s coastline.
At a press conference announcing the downgrade, officials said there have been no reports of “large damage” from the waves and that those who had evacuated could return to their homes based on local advisories.
In Japan, the country’s Meteorological Agency downgraded its warnings in the southern parts of the country, but active tsunami warnings remained in place along the northern half of country’s eastern seaboard, covering the Hokkaido and Tohoku regions.
Tsunami waves measuring above 4 feet were recorded in the coastal town of Kuji in eastern Japan, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported, adding that the tsunami threat is expected to remain for a day.
The Honolulu Department of Emergency Management said the first tsunami waves began “impacting Hawaii” at around 8:15 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
The National Weather Service also noted tsunami waves have been detected along the coasts of California, warning that the roughly 5 feet high waves detected in the graphs only show the “observed arrival of the initial tsunami wave, NOT the peak magnitude.”
A tsunami warning is still in effect for the coastal area along the Oregon-California border including Cape Mendocino, California.
Tsunami watches and advisories are in effect all across the U.S. West Coast, but the National Weather Service issued a warning, saying: “Tsunami is a series of wave carrying a large extra mass of water to our coast. This will NOT be a single wave. Do NOT try to go to the coast to take photos.”
This screen shot shows a tsunami alert on a mobile photo in Honolulu.
According to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center’s latest update, the initial waves that hit Hawaii ranged between 0.4 and 4 feet. The update noted: “The danger may persist for many more hours as waves activity continues. Tsunami waves efficiently wrap around islands so all shores are at risk no matter which direction they face.” In a press conference, the Hawaii Governor said the first tsunami wave that passed through Midway Atoll, which is located around 1,300 miles northwest of Honolulu, measured 6 feet “from peak to trough.” Green said a tsunami of that size would be like a “three-foot wave riding on top of the ocean,” although the waves hitting Hawaii could be bigger or smaller. A wave of that size could cause people to drown, move cars and throw fences around, he added. Green then warned residents: “You need to expect that there will be flooding on the islands and it will be imminent after the wave hits,” as he urged them to heed evacuation orders immediately. An earlier forecast by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said, the tsunami waves could reach as high as 10 feet (3 meters) along the coast of Northwestern Hawaii. Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency said: “Initial effects of tsunami waves are expected to occur on the Kauai coast, with effects to Hawai'i Island beginning 20-30 minutes later. These massive waves can wrap around the island shore, so impacts may occur at any point along the coast.” The state’s Department of Transportation noted that all flights from Kahului International Airport have been cancelled and passengers are sheltering in the terminal.
The Tsunami warnings and advisories issued by Japanese authorities covered the country’s entire Pacific Coast. “Tsunamis can strike repeatedly over a long period of time. The waves that come after the first one may be larger, so it is important to continue evacuating until the tsunami warning or advisory is lifted,” the Japanese Meteorological Agency said. In response to the tsunami alert, Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency issued an evacuation advisory that covered more than 1.9 million people across 21 prefectures across the country.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the the powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake’s epicenter was located just off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia. Kamchatka is sparsely populated and Russian authorities have not reported any significant damage or casualties in the area. ate media reported that around 2,700 were evacuated from the Kuril Islands in Russia’s far east due to a tsunami threat. Flooding caused by tsunami waves was reported in town of Severo-Kurilsk on the islands. According to Russia’s Oceanology Institute the waves that struck Severo-Kurilsk reached as high as 19 feet (6 meters).
The 8.8 magnitude temblor is the biggest earthquake recorded by the USGS since the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Japan, which caused a major tsunami and triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
According to Ground Control, a platform that tracks celebrity private jets, Oprah Winfrey’s Gulfstream G700 jet took off from Kahului, Hawaii a few hours before the tsunami waves hit the island state. It landed in Mesa, Arizona early on Wednesday, after a four-and-half hour flight, but it is unclear if Oprah was onboard. The billionaire talk show host owns nearly 2,100 acres of land in Hawaii.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, President Donald Trump wrote: “Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii...STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!”
Tsunami Reaches Hawaii and California After Biggest Quake Since 2011 (New York Times)
Tsunami warning issued for Japan's Pacific coast, 1.3-meter wave observed (NHK)