OAN Staff Sophia Flores and Brooke Mallory
7:14 PM – Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Tsunami alerts have been issued for U.S. states Hawaii and Alaska following an 8.8 earthquake that struck off the coast of Russia.

It was initially measured at magnitude 8.0, then revised to 8.7, and later revised once more to a magnitude of 8.8, according to USGS.

The quake occurred at a shallow depth, approximately 19–19.3 km (12 miles), making it especially capable of generating tsunami wave — AP News reported.

At 7:24 pm ET, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) announced that about 78 miles east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, a massive quake occurred in shallow water.

No reports of injuries or fatalities have emerged from coastal communities so far.

A nation in proximity to the 8.8 earthquake’s epicenter is Japan. The seismic event occurred approximately 160 miles from Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s four principal islands. In response, Japanese authorities issued a tsunami advisory, warning of potential waves reaching up to one yard along the country’s Pacific coastline.

Hawaii:

• A Tsunami Watch was first issued shortly after the quake, then upgraded to a Tsunami Warning at around 2:43 p.m. HST — Hawaii time
• Officials warned that all Hawaiian islands could face tsunami waves and urged urgent evacuation from coastal zones.
• The earliest wave was expected around 7:17 p.m. HST (~1:17 a.m. ET)

Alaska:

• A Tsunami Advisory/Warning was activated for parts of the Aleutians (Shemya, Adak) with projected wave arrival times around 4:46 p.m. and 5:46 p.m. AKDT.

U.S. West Coast and British Columbia:

• Placed under a Tsunami Watch, meaning a threat was possible and under evaluation. Hawaii had the highest alert level at warning status.

tsunami.gov announced the current alerts:

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

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