An 8.8-magnitude quake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday morning, triggering evacuations from Russia to the US West Coast
Flooded coastal areas of Severo-Kurilsk © Telegram
An 8.8-magnitude earthquake, followed by powerful aftershocks, struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, triggering tsunami alerts and evacuation orders across several Pacific coastal regions.
The quake occurred around 11:30am local time, around 136km southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, and was the strongest in the area since 1952, according to the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The first tsunami waves reached Severo-Kurilsk in the northern Kuril Islands, washing away a fish processing plant and flooding a local port. A 3-4-meter wave was recorded in Kamchatka’s Elizovsky district, while Russia’s Oceanology Institute said waves near the epicenter in southeastern Kamchatka and the Northern Kurils may have reached 10-15 meters. All coastal areas were evacuated.
In Japan, tsunami waves were observed along the Hokkaido coast. The authorities initially issued evacuation orders for more than 1.9 million people across 21 Pacific coast prefectures but later downgraded several to ‘lower-level advisories’.
The US National Tsunami Warning Center issued an advisory for the entire US West Coast, as well as parts of Canada and Alaska. Elevated sea levels were reported in Washington, Oregon, and California, though no damage has been confirmed. In Hawaii, an initial warning was downgraded to an advisory, with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cautioning that sea level changes and strong currents may still endanger swimmers, boaters, and those near beaches, harbors, and marinas.
Tsunami advisories and alerts were also issued in the Philippines, Guam, Chile, New Zealand, and several other Pacific regions.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released an interactive map showing the quake’s epicenter and the spread of tsunami warnings, advisories, and threats across the Pacific.
Screenshot from US Tsunami Warning System website
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30 July 2025
13:52 GMT
The US National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) has canceled its advisory for the coastal areas of South Alaska, the Alaska Peninsula, and the Aleutian Islands. However, a tsunami warning remains in effect for a small section of the Northern California coast.
- 13:46 GMT
The Chilean authorities have issued a tsunami warning for Easter Island, urging residents to evacuate to safe zones. The Pacific island, over 3,200km off Chile’s coast, is home to around 8,000 people.
- 13:21 GMT
No casualties have been recorded in Russia after the earthquake and tsunamis off the Far Eastern coast, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. The regional Health Ministry earlier reported several people with mild injuries but gave no exact figures.
Peskov noted that tsunami warning systems had worked “in a timely manner,” enabling necessary evacuations.
- 13:01 GMT
Tsunami advisories for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have been canceled, with Micronesia also declaring an all-clear, the local weather service said. However, it warned that “strong currents may still occur.”
- 12:51 GMT
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it has detected no safety impact on nuclear power plants along Japan’s Pacific coast.
IAEA is in contact with Japan national authorities about 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia's east coast & resulting tsunami. Initial reports indicate no safety impact for nuclear power plants along Pacific coast. ALPS treated water discharge halted in line w/ safety protocols. pic.twitter.com/B6xcJqS1uq
— IAEA — International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) July 30, 2025
- 12:28 GMT
The Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano in Russia’s Kamchatka Region began erupting following the morning quake, the local branch of the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences has reported. Hot lava was observed descending the western slope, accompanied by a powerful glow and explosions.
Klyuchevskaya Sopka, the highest active volcano in Eurasia, is located about 30km from the village of Klyuchi in the Ust-Kamchatsky district, home to roughly 4,500 residents.
- 12:28 GMT
Japan has downgraded its last remaining tsunami alert in the north, though advisories remain in effect along its Pacific coast.
- 12:16 GMT
An expedition from the Russian Geographical Society has been caught in a tsunami on Shumshu Island, near the Kamchatka quake’s epicenter. The waves swept away their camp and belongings, but member Vera Kostamo told Komsomolskaya Pravda that all 30 people managed to reach higher ground safely.
- 11:19 GMT
Footage posted online has shown whales washed ashore on the coast of Hirasuna in Chiba, Japan, following the Kamchatka earthquake.
😥 More Heartbreaking Footage Emerges Of Distressed Whales Washed Ashore The Coast Of Hirasuna Chiba, Japan Amid Kamchatka #Earthquake#Tsunamihttps://t.co/PawVXXBOs0pic.twitter.com/QV43ISfl5b
— RT_India (@RT_India_news) July 30, 2025
- 11:11 GMT
The tsunami alert in Russia’s Kamchatka Region has been lifted, the local government has announced.
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