Catastrophic 8.8 magnitude earthquake in California unleashes destructive tsunami waves
Tsunami Warnings Sweep Across the Pacific After Major Earthquake
A powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia's Pacific coast on July 30, 2025, triggered tsunami warnings and advisories across the Pacific, affecting various regions including Hawaii, the U.S. West Coast, and other parts of the Pacific.
Impacts Across the Pacific
- Hawaii: Initially under a tsunami warning, Hawaii experienced small tsunami waves around 1 foot (30 centimeters) in height. The warning was quickly downgraded to an advisory, and officials reported no significant damage or consequential waves, allowing evacuees to return to normal areas shortly after.
- West Coast (Alaska, Oregon, Washington, California): Alaska received tsunami advisories with some small waves likely hitting the Aleutian Islands. Along the U.S. West Coast, from northern California up to Alaska and the British Columbia border, a mixture of warnings and advisories was issued. Small tsunami waves were recorded at locations such as Monterey and San Francisco, California, but none caused major damage.
- Russia (Kamchatka and Kuril Islands): The main coastal area closest to the epicenter, the Kuril Islands settlement of Severo-Kurilsk, saw tsunami waves hitting the shore with residents advised to stay on high ground. No casualties or damage were reported immediately, but the threat was taken seriously due to predicted waves higher than 3 meters in some areas.
- Other Pacific regions: Tsunami waves of 1 to 3 meters above tide level were predicted for scattered coastal regions including Chile, Japan, and the Solomon Islands, with some areas at risk for waves exceeding 3 meters. The initial wave hit Nemuro in eastern Hokkaido, Japan, at about 1 foot in height.
Authorities' Response and Guidance
Officials in all affected areas urged following official guidance closely due to the possibility of multiple tsunami waves. In Hawaii, urgent action was called to protect lives and property. Residents were urged to leave beaches and evacuate low-lying areas for higher ground or to take shelter on at least the fourth floor of a building. President Donald Trump also urged people to stay strong and safe and monitor updates on the tsunami.gov online dashboard.
Expert Analysis
Experts emphasized that such shallow and strong earthquakes release enormous energy capable of generating destructive tsunamis, but in this event, the waves reaching distant shores were relatively small so far. Coastal monitoring continues for any further waves.
Additional Information
- The intense quake occurred about 85 miles off the east coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula with a depth of nearly 12 miles.
- It was one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey, with its magnitude upgraded from initial reports of 8.0 and 8.7.
- Tsunami warnings or watches were also put in place by authorities in Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Colombia.
- U.S. territories in the Pacific including Johnston Atoll, Midway Island, Palmyra Island, Howland and Baker Islands, Jarvis Island, and other nearby small islands were also put on alert for possible tsunami waves.
- Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines paused flights due to tsunami warnings, but resumed them on Wednesday morning. Waves of up to 4 feet were recorded off of Oahu, with no large waves reported near the Big Island.
- Damage was reported in Russia's far eastern Kamchatka region, where 3,000 people were evacuated. Magnitude 6.3 and 6.9 aftershocks were also reported in the area.
- New Zealanders were advised to avoid beaches due to expected strong currents and surges.
- Tsunami warnings were issued for parts of Alaska's Aleutian Islands and Northern California, from Cape Mendocino to the Oregon border.
- In French Polynesia, Guam, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, New Caledonia, the Cook Islands, Nauru, Australia, and the Philippines, various levels of tsunami alerts were issued.
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The tsunami warnings in Hawaii, despite initially being a concern, led to small tsunami waves around 1 foot (30 centimeters) in height, causing no significant damage or consequential waves.
Under the tsunami advisories issued for Alaska, some small waves likely hit the Aleutian Islands, but none caused major damage.
