The Latest: Tsunami waves move across Pacific after 8.8-magnitude earthquake

A tsunami sent waves into Russia Japan Hawaii and the West Coast of the United States after an -magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the Russian Far East early Wednesday It was one of the biggest temblor s ever recorded Several people were injured but none seriously and no major damage has been broadcasted so far The danger already appeared to be lessening in several places with officers in Hawaii and parts of Japan and Russia downgrading their warnings Here s the latest Russian officials cancel tsunami warnings for regions Russian personnel on the Kamchatka Peninsula and Kuril Islands have canceled their tsunami warnings but say the pitfall of aftershocks and waves remains The regional branch of Russia s Crisis Ministry on Kamchatka warned that scientists expect aftershocks at magnitudes of up to It revealed that more tsunamis are viable in the Avacha Bay where the regional capital of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is located Russia says regional officials were prepared The Kremlin noted that regional bureaucrats on Kamchatka were well prepared for the quake Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that the warnings were issued timely and people were swiftly evacuated from dangerous areas He added that the buildings proved resilient to shocks Tsunami-driven tides build in northern California Tsunami activity continued to build in northern California as high tide approached Wednesday morning with maximum certified heights along the coast of feet meters in Crescent City feet meters in Arena Cove and feet meters in Humboldt Bay according to the National Weather Organization office in Eureka The measurements in Crescent City and Arena Cove were high enough to create minor coastal flooding and inundation the weather system reported on social media adding that tsunami activity will persist and people should avoid beaches and harbors Crescent City administrators warned on social media that higher surges could arrive around high tide and could affect lower lying areas They requested people to stay away from beaches and waterways Hawaii and parts of Japan downgrade tsunami warnings Hawaii and parts of Japan downgraded tsunami warnings with Hawaii lifting evacuation orders across the state while leaving a tsunami advisory in place Bureaucrats in Hawaii disclosed residents who had evacuated could return to their homes Maj Gen Stephen Logan the Adjutant General of the State of Hawaii Department of Defense mentioned an advisory means there is the likely for strong currents and dangerous waves as well as flooding on beaches or in harbors Russia declares state of crisis in areas hit by earthquake The Russian personnel declared a state of emergency on the Kuril Islands and in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky the main city on the Kamchatka peninsula They earlier informed that several tsunami waves flooded the fishing port of Severo-Kurilsk the main city on the islands and cut power supplies to the area Russia s Oceanography Institute explained tsunami waves that hit the city topped meters feet Japan asserts territorial rights to the four Pacific islands it calls the Northern Territories They were taken by the Soviet Union in the final days of World War II and the dispute has kept the countries from signing a peace treaty -magnitude quake was among the strongest this century Wednesday s -magnitude quake was among the four strongest earthquakes this century and among the eight strongest since according to the USGS The earthquake occurred along the Pacific Ring of Fire the ring of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where the bulk of the world s earthquakes occur The Japan quake and the earthquake off Indonesia were magnitude and a earthquake in Chile also was recorded at magnitude Japanese official warns evacuees they might not be able to return home by day s end Japan s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi stated evacuees in the tsunami-affected areas that they might not be able to return home by the end of the day on Wednesday Hayashi stated waves could remain high for at least one day and he urged evacuees to take precautions and stay well hydrated in the summer heat Damage and minor injuries revealed in Russian Far East Local government on Russia s Kamchatka peninsula mentioned several people were injured during the massive quake but didn t give an exact number Oleg Melnikov head of the regional healthcare department explained a sparse people hurt themselves while rushing to leave buildings and a hospital victim received an injury while jumping out of a window Melnikov declared that all injured people were in satisfactory condition A video disclosed by Russian media outlet evidenced a organization of doctors at a cancer clinic on Kamchatka holding a individual and clutching anatomical equipment as the quake rocked an operating room before continuing with surgery after the shaking stopped Authorities commented the doctors will receive decorations In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Kamchatka s regional capital the quake damaged a local kindergarten which was not in operation due to ongoing repair work Water recedes at Hawaii beaches as tsunami reaches Oahu Hawaii Gov Josh Green disclosed leaders observed water receding by to feet to meters at Haleiwa Harbor on Oahu the state s the bulk populous island an indication tsunami waves will arrive The waves pulling out left boats to lay on dry rock and sand That gave us pause Green stated So far no damage has been recorded but it will take two to three hours of observation before government will be able to determine whether the event has passed Green announced Pacific island nations urge people to avoid coastlines Leadership in a number of small island nations in the South Pacific Ocean urged people to stay away from coastlines familiarize themselves with evacuation routes and await further guidance from executives but did not order evacuations Various tiny and low-lying Pacific island chains are among the world s greater part imperiled by tsunamis and rising seas Cautions to stay away from beaches until any wave surges passed late Wednesday were issued by authorities in Fiji Samoa Tonga Federated States of Micronesia and Solomon Islands Nearly million people under evacuation advisories in Japan Japan s Fire and Catastrophe Management Agency mentioned nearly million residents are now under evacuation advisories in more than municipalities along the Pacific coast as of midday Wednesday It added that one person was slightly injured on the northern island of Hokkaido when a woman in her s fell while rushing to evacuate She was taken to a hospital Governor says Hawaii is ready for evacuations Hawaii Gov Josh Green commented input from Midway Atoll which is part of the way between Japan and Hawaii measured tsunami waves from peak to trough of feet meters He mentioned waves hitting Hawaii could be bigger or smaller and it was too early to tell how large they would be A tsunami of that size would be akin to a three foot centimeter wave riding on top of surf he noted Hawaii Gov Josh Green noted facts from Midway Atoll which is part of the way between Japan and Hawaii measured tsunami waves from peak to trough of feet meters He declared waves hitting Hawaii could be bigger or smaller and it was too early to tell how large they would be A tsunami of that size would be akin to a three foot centimeter wave riding on top of surf he noted He notified a new conference that a wave that size could move cars and throw fences around It can dislodge trees that s why you can t just be out there The impact is at great speed Green reported Any any structure that gets loose and strikes the individual could take them out And people can drown quite easily with the force of that kind of wave Green mentioned Black Hawk helicopters have been activated and high-water vehicles were ready to go in episode administration need to rescue people But please do not put yourself in harm s way he reported Tsunami sirens sound in remote California city The small Northern California locality of Crescent City turned on its tsunami sirens to warn residents about doable waves You are hearing a Tsunami Siren We are under a Tsunami Warning Please stay away from beaches and waterways A predicted wave may hit at pm We are waiting on additional information about any level of evacuation read a post from the City Hall Facebook account The city in rural Northern California has roughly residents A tsunami in caused by an earthquake in Alaska caused a wave feet meters high to hit the city killing people and destroying its downtown Lines form at Honolulu gas stations There were long lines at gas stations near downtown Honolulu with standstill traffic even in areas away from the shoreline A Texaco gas station in the Nuuanu-Punchbowl neighborhood closed early so that workers could go home The workers set out cones at pumps and turned away motorists Jimmy Markowski on a family vacation from Hot Springs Arkansas ended up at the closed Texaco station after fleeing their Waikiki beach resort in a caravan of three cars carrying people All we re trying to do is just figure out what we re going to do for the next three or four hours he mentioned We ve got water we got certain snacks we re going to stay elevated This is our first tsunami warning ever So this is all new to us Larger swells hit Japan A tsunami of centimeters feet arrived at Hamanaka town on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido and Kuji port in Iwate on the main island up from the earlier tsunami of cm ft according to the JMA A tsunami of cm inches was detected in the Tokyo Bay according to the Japan Meteorological Agency Shiji Kiyomoto a JMA earthquake and tsunami response official reported second or third tsunami waves of tsunami had arrived Kiyomoto did not say when tsunami alerts would be lifted and commented high waves may last for at least a day urging residents to stay at safe places Definition of a tsunami Tsunamis are waves triggered by earthquakes underwater volcanic eruptions and submarine landslides After an underwater earthquake the seafloor rises and drops which lifts water up and down The force from this pushes sea water that transfers to waves A large number of people think of tsunamis as one wave But they are typically multiple waves that rush ashore like a fast-rising tide Tsunami warning issued for parts of China China s Ministry of Natural Information Tsunami Warning Center has issued an alert for parts of the country s east coast along Shanghai and Zhejiang provinces The warning forecasts that waves could reach between to meter to feet Shanghai and Zhejiang are already under alert as Typhoon CoMay is expected to land in the Zhejiang province Wednesday Hawaii officers set up evacuation shelters Honolulu won t operate bus trips scheduled to start after p m local time Drivers still on routes after that and who are in inundation zones will head to higher ground We want everyone to stay safe commented Honolulu Fire Department Chief Sheldon Hao Evacuate early so you don t put yourself in a tough situation US forecasters warn people against going to the coast This will NOT be a single wave Do NOT try to go to the coast to take photos the National Weather Operation San Francisco Bay Area office posted on X The agency warned people could put themselves and any rescue teams that may be out at pitfall Tsunami forecast to hit parts of Vancouver Island British Columbia The province s emergency preparedness agency noted waves of less than centimeters less than foot were expected to reach Tofino around p m Tuesday local time A tsunami advisory spans much of British Columbia s coast and the agency explained multiple waves over time were expected The waves are expected to first reach remote Langara Island around p m The agency declared local governments should consider evacuating marinas beaches and other areas near the ocean Mexico s Navy warns Pacific coast to anticipate tsunami waves Mexico s navy says waves between to centimeters to feet are expected on the Mexican Pacific coast after the tsunami set off by the -magnitude earthquake in Russia s Far East In a document the navy s tsunami warning center noted the waves will begin to reach the northern coast in Ensenada near California at around a m Wednesday central time in Mexico and it will continue south along the Pacific coast until it reaches the Chiapas states around a m local time people under evacuation advisories in Japan Japan s Fire an Tragedy Management Agency commented so far no injuries or damage have been announced The agency in response to the tsunami alert issued an evacuation advisory to more than residents in municipalities along Japan s Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Okinawa The number of people who really took shelter was not available A tsunami of centimeters feet was detected at the Ishinomaki the highest detected so far in the aftermath of Wednesday s earthquake according to the Japan Meteorological Agency The strongest quake in over a decade The earthquake at a m Japan time had a preliminary magnitude of Japan and U S seismologists declared The U S Geological Survey later updated its measurement to magnitude It appears to be the strongest anywhere in the world since the March quake off northeast Japan that was magnitude and caused a massive tsunami that set off meltdowns at a nuclear power plant Only a limited stronger earthquakes have ever been measured around the world Tsunami alert in Japan complicates transportation Ferries connecting Hokkaido and Aomori on the northern tip of Japan s Honshu island were suspended as well as those connecting Tokyo and nearby islands Chosen local train operations have been suspended or delayed as well according to operators Sendai airport says its runway has been temporarily closed Tsunami waves detected at multiple points on Japan s Pacific coast Japan Meteorological Agency says a tsunami as high as centimeters feet has been detected at locations as the waves have moved south along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido down to just northeast of Tokyo Functionaries urge residents to use caution as bigger waves could come later New Zealand warns of strong and atypical currents New Zealand leadership issued warnings of strong and exceptional currents and unpredictable surges along all coastlines of the South Pacific island nation Waves were not expected to arrive until late Wednesday night local time officers noted Japanese nuclear power plants stop work Japanese nuclear power plants along the Pacific coasts have suspended their work schedule in response to the tsunami alert but so far no abnormalities have been stated Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings which operates the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant revealed about workers are taking shelter at higher grounds on the plant complex while monitoring remotely to ensure plant safety Its release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea is also temporarily suspended as a cautionary step Russian scientists call the earthquake a unique event The -magnitude earthquake was the strongest to hit that area in Kamchatka since according to the local branch of the Geophysical Survey of the Russian Academy of Sciences In a comment posted on their Telegram channel they called the earthquake a unique event They mentioned the epicenter was near a new earthquake that struck the peninsula on July Oregon executives say small tsunami expected to reach the state s coastline The Oregon Department of Crisis Management stated on Facebook that small tsunami waves were expected to reach parts of the state s coastline starting around p m local time with wave heights between to feet to centimeters It urged people to stay away from beaches harbors and marinas and to remain in a safe location away from the coast until the advisory is lifted This item was corrected to show that wave heights were expected to reach between and feet not and feet First waves hit Hokkaido in Japan and Russia s Kuril Islands The Japan Meteorological Agency declared a first tsunami wave of about centimeters about foot reached Nemuro on the eastern coast of Hokkaido The first tsunami wave hit the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk the main settlement on Russia s Kuril Islands in the Pacific according to the local governor Valery Limarenko Source