Russian authorities said they had cancelled a tsunami alert for the Kamchatka Peninsula on Sunday after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the nearby Kuril Islands.
(Reuters)
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Tsunami News LIVE Updates: Tsunami warnings have been mostly downgraded or lifted across much of the Pacific after a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. Japan, Hawaii, and the US West Coast, which saw early evacuation orders, have all scaled back warnings. However, South American nations remain on edge. Chile raised its alert to the highest level early Wednesday and began evacuating coastal areas, with Colombia and Ecuador issuing similar orders. French Polynesia had warned of 4-metre waves, but those have been smaller than expected.
Emergency in Russia: In Russia, waves up to 6 metres flooded parts of the fishing port of Severo-Kurilsk, cutting power and prompting a state of emergency. Only minor injuries have been reported so far. The earthquake also triggered lava flow from Kamchatka’s Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano, the largest in the Northern Hemisphere. Authorities continue to monitor the situation, as aftershocks persist.
Impacts across the Pacific: Along the US West Coast, tsunami waves between 2 and 5 feet were recorded in places like Crescent City, San Francisco, and Port San Luis. Hawaii saw waves up to 1.7 metres, prompting thousands to seek higher ground before the threat was downgraded. The tsunami advisory for the US West Coast has since been lifted, though authorities had initially urged residents to avoid beaches and low-lying coastal areas. Japan, including Iwate and Hokkaido, reported minor waves and injuries. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant remains safe.
Russian authorities said they had cancelled a tsunami alert for the Kamchatka Peninsula on Sunday after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the nearby Kuril Islands.
(Reuters)
Tokyo Electric Power Co on Thursday posted 857.7 billion yen ($5.75 billion) loss for the three months ended on June 30, reflecting costs related to the decommissioning process at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. In the same period a year ago, TEPCO posted a net profit of 79.2 billion yen.
TEPCO has been conducting trial removal of nuclear fuel debris after a powerful tsunami destroyed the plant in 2011 and has been also paying out compensations.
As part of the decommissioning process, the company has been also releasing treated radioactive water to the ocean.
(Reuters)
Kamchatka, home to about 290,000 people, is one of the world’s most seismically active regions. Its capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, sits in Avacha Bay, sheltered from large tsunami waves. The quake’s epicentre was roughly 120 km from the city, with aftershocks as strong as 6.9.
The Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano, the tallest active volcano in the Northern Hemisphere, showed signs of activity but was not directly affected by the quake.
Officials in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Micronesia, and the Solomon Islands advised people to avoid coastlines. No major evacuations were ordered.
(With inputs from AP)
(With inputs from AP)
Most tsunami warnings have been lifted, but Chile maintained red alerts along most of its coastline, reported AP, and New Zealand renewed advisories due to ongoing surges.
David Sun-Miyashiro was on the 31st floor of his Honolulu apartment when his phone warned of a possible tsunami. With hours to spare, he tried picking up his father but got stuck in gridlock, eventually abandoning his car and walking home with his preschooler. “It was definitely a bit of a wake-up call... If everybody goes into the car all at once, you're pretty much paralysed in place,” he said.
Hawaii officials say the afternoon timing and long lead time led to congestion, as hotels released staff, tourists left high-rises, and residents rushed for supplies. Some people in safe areas also evacuated. “That additional time, everybody tried to fill it,” said Ed Sniffen of the state transportation department. “It would have been more efficient for people to stay put.” State Rep. Adrian Tam warned the Waikiki gridlock “raises serious questions.”
Hawaii usually has hours of warning due to its geography. This time, roads like Maui’s “Oprah’s Road” and a military route on Oahu were opened. Jake Bacon, a visitor from Arizona, took 90 minutes to reach safety. “I didn't hear a car horn honk,” he said. “Everybody just sat patiently and moved through traffic.”
(AP)
The tsunami warnings for Kamchatka and the nearby Kuril Islands have been lifted as of July 30-31. Russian authorities officially cancelled the tsunami alert for the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Kuril Islands after waves of up to 4-6 metres caused flooding and power outages locally but no major injuries or destruction. Aftershocks are ongoing but no further tsunami threats are currently expected in Kamchatka.
South American nations responded cautiously to the quakes. Chile raised its warning to the highest level and began coastal evacuations. Colombia ordered beach closures and evacuations, while Ecuador cancelled school classes along the coast and in the Galapagos Islands. New Zealand also warned residents to avoid beaches due to strong currents but did not order evacuations.
(Witth inputs from AP)
The National Weather Service issues
In Hawaii and Alaska, alerts are sent via phones, sirens, and broadcasts.
(With inputs from AP)
One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded, an 8.8 magnitude quake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, sent a tsunami crashing into a Russian port and smaller waves across the Pacific. The danger has largely passed, with warnings canceled in most areas. No major damage was reported, though Chile raised its alert to the highest level and began evacuations.
Tsunamis are triggered by underwater earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or landslides. They travel across oceans at jet-like speeds but slow and rise near shorelines, often arriving as a series of fast-rising waves rather than a single wall of water. Their impact varies, some cause little harm, while others, like the 2004 Indian Ocean or 2011 Japan tsunamis, have caused massive destruction and loss of life.
According to the USGS, the quake was one of the four strongest this century and the sixth-largest ever recorded. It struck in the Pacific Ring of Fire, home to frequent seismic activity. Multiple aftershocks followed, some as strong as 6.9. The quake triggered tsunamis spreading from the epicenter off Kamchatka.
“It’s like throwing a huge rock into the sea,” said Simon Boxall, oceanography expert at the University of Southampton. While not expected to cause mass devastation, the resulting waves pose risks of coastal flooding and require caution. Waves 10–13 feet high hit Kamchatka, while 2–5-foot waves reached San Francisco. Smaller surges were observed elsewhere. Russia reported injuries but no major damage. Japan’s nuclear plants were unaffected, and a tsunami advisory remains in effect for parts of northern California.
(With inputs from AP)
A tsunami advisory has been cancelled by the authorities for the coastal areas of California, from Rincon point to Point Conception, Reuters reported.
A small California coastal city near the border with Oregon that has recorded dozens of tsunamis, including one that killed 11 people more than 60 years ago, saw little damage Wednesday as locals returned to their routines amid sunny skies in the town known as a tsunami magnet.
Crescent City recorded waves of up to 4 feet (1.22 meters) early Wednesday — the highest recorded anywhere in the continental United States following an 8.8-magnitude earthquake centered off the coast of Russia's Far East hours earlier.
Still, those were far smaller than the 21-foot (6.40 meters) waves caused by the deadly 1964 tsunami. This time, no one was injured in the city of 6,600 and there was no major flooding, with downtown open later Wednesday morning. A dock at the city’s harbor was damaged, and officials warned people to stay away from beaches and waterways.
“A lot of people who aren’t from here did evacuate. But they ended up coming right back because nothing happened,” said Rose Renee, who works at Oceanfront Lodge that looks out at the famed Battery Point Lighthouse. A surge of water lifted the dock off its pilings around 2:40 a.m., eventually submerging it, Harbormaster Mike Rademaker said at a news briefing.
- AP
In Northern California, Crescent City—the beach community that saw the highest tsunami waves on the US West Coast—has reported no damage so far, according to local officials.
“It was a long night for all of us,” said City Manager Eric Wier. “We were fortunate this time. There were significant tsunami surges, and we’re still dealing with those now, but they stayed within the banks of Elk Creek.”
Wier said peak waves reached about 8 feet, matching the area’s highest annual tides, but not enough to flood the city center. “The downtown is at a high enough elevation that it is open,” he added.
Officials in Crescent City, California, are sharing updates as a tsunami warning remains in effect for the northern part of the state.
As of Wednesday morning, the only stretch of US coastline still under a tsunami warning—the highest level alert—is a 40-mile section from just south of Klamath to the Oregon border, including Crescent City.
Colombia has issued a red alert for the northeastern Chocó region as its Pacific coast braces for possible tsunami waves following the 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s far east.
President Gustavo Petro posted a letter on X from Chocó’s regional government, ordering the immediate evacuation of beaches and low-lying coastal areas.
Tsunami alerts remain in effect along much of the U.S. Pacific coast, though some areas are beginning to receive the all-clear.
Most of Alaska’s coastline is now clear of warnings, and alerts have been lifted in parts of Southern California. However, a tsunami warning is still active for a 40-mile stretch of Northern California’s coast.
Tsunami waves began reaching the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia early Wednesday, though local authorities say the waves are now expected to be smaller than initially feared.
The High Commission of the Republic in French Polynesia said the highest waves are still on the way, but are now forecast to reach between 1.10 and 2.50 meters—down from earlier estimates of up to 4 meters.
Initial wave surges were reported on the island of Nuku Hiva, with five to ten additional ocean waves expected over the next few hours, the commission added.
Chilean authorities have issued a tsunami warning for Easter Island and called on residents to evacuate to safe zones following the 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s far eastern coast.
Easter Island, located more than 2,000 miles (around 3,200 kilometers) off mainland Chile in the Pacific Ocean, is home to about 8,000 people.
Senapred, Chile’s disaster prevention agency, urged residents to remain calm and follow official instructions.
There have been “no casualties” reported in Russia following the massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunamis off the country’s far eastern coast, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
He did not provide details on possible injuries but said tsunami warning systems operated “in a timely manner,” allowing evacuations to take place as needed.
“In general, the seismic resistance of the buildings proved itself, so thank God there were no casualties,” Peskov added.
The National Tsunami Warning Centre (NTWC) said a tsunami advisory has been cancelled for coastal areas of south Alaska, the Alaska peninsula and the Aleutian Islands from Chignik Bay, Alaska to Samalga Pass, Reuters reports.
Japan has lifted all tsunami warnings, according to the country’s Meterological Agency. However, a tsunami advisory remains in effect from Hokkaido to Okinawa, it said.
The Klyuchevskoy volcano on the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia’s far east has started erupting after Wednesday’s earthquake, Russian state news agency RIA reported, according to Reuters.
In Colombia, the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management warned that strong currents and tsunami waves were expected along the country’s Pacific coast between Wednesday morning and midday.
In Panama, Omar Smith Gallardo, the head of the National Civil Protection System, called for calm and urged residents of the Pacific coast to stay away from the coast until lunchtime. Panama had not been affected by larger earthquakes in the past but it was not possible to guarantee “100%” that would be the case this time. Ecuador’s Oceanographic Institute of the Navy announced there was an “imminent danger” of a tsunami and said 1.4m waves were expected to hit the Galápagos Islands on Wednesday morning with larger waves potentially following.
The tsunami alert has been cancelled in Russia’s Severo-Kurilsk, state-owned Tass news agency reports.
The tsunami alert has been cancelled in Russia’s Severo-Kurilsk, state-owned Tass news agency reports.
While Southern California has seen “weaker” impacts so far, parts of the coast are still experiencing noticeable effects from the tsunami, according to the National Weather Service.
“We are seeing a lot of surging of the waters, especially along west- and northwest-facing beaches,” said Dr. Ariel Cohen, meteorologist in charge of the NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard office.
Areas like Port San Luis, Ventura Harbor, and even near Santa Monica are seeing milder water surges, with minor beach inundation but strong and potentially dangerous rip currents, Cohen noted.
He urged residents not to let their guard down.
“It’s still a situation where everybody needs to be very vigilant, remain at a high state of readiness, as we head through the daytime hours,” he said. “While the situation may be improving to some extent, we’re not out of the woods just yet.”
The Kremlin has said alert systems “worked well” in the earthquake response and there were “no casualties.”
- Reuters
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said initial reports indicate no safety impact for nuclear power plants along the Pacific Coast according to Reuters.
AFP is reporting that Japan has downgraded tsunami alerts for many areas, citing its weather office.
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