Tsunami warning: Every nation hit by evacuation alerts after huge earthquake

A massive8.8 magnitude earthquake which is one of the strongest ever recorded has struck off the coast of eastern Russia leading to a series of tsunami warnings in the region.

Devastatingfour metre high tsunami wavesled to buildings damaged and severe flooding in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. The quake, which struck at 8:25am Japan time, had a preliminary magnitude of 8.0, but the US Geological Survey later updated its measurement to 8.8 magnitude. The quake was centered about 74 miles east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Multiple aftershocks as strong as 6.9 magnitude were recorded.

The shallow earthquake has caused injuries for several people while on Japan’s eastern coast an order was made to evacuate. A nursery was damaged but most buildings were able to stand firm, said authorities in Russia.

READ MORE: Tsunami LIVE: Hawaii, Japan and US issued with warnings after monster earthquake

"Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors," Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app. Russian scientists said it was the most powerful quake to hit the region since 1952. It has been recorded as the sixth-largest earthquake on record.

Russia

The Kamchatka Peninsula region has declared a state of emergency, according to state media TASS, citing authorities. Videos show water rushing between buildings, damaging industrial infrastructure and sweeping away large debris.

Sakhalin Governor Valery Limarenko said; “Residents of the settlement remain safe on higher ground until the threat of additional waves is fully lifted."

Japan

Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said nearly two million residents are now under evacuation advisories in more than 220 municipalities along the Pacific coast.

It added that one person was slightly injured on the northern island of Hokkaido when a woman in her 60s fell while rushing to evacuate. She was taken to a hospital.

A two feet tsunami 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 40 centimetres (1.3 ft), according to the JMA. A tsunami of 20 cm (7.9 inches) was detected in the Tokyo Bay, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

Shiji Kiyomoto, a JMA earthquake and tsunami response official, said second or third tsunami waves of tsunami had arrived. Kiyomoto did not say when tsunami alerts would be lifted, and said high waves may last for at least a day, urging residents to stay at safe places.

Hawaii

Hawaii Gov Josh Green said data from Midway Atoll, which is part of the way between Japan and Hawaii, measured tsunami waves from peak to trough of 6 feet (1.8 meters).

He said 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 feet wave riding on top of surf, he said. He told 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,” Gov Green said. “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.”

Gov Green said Black Hawk helicopters have been activated and high-water vehicles were ready to go in case authorities need to rescue people. “But please do not put yourself in harm’s way,” he said.

California

The small Northern California community of Crescent City turned on its tsunami sirens to warn residents about possible 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 11:55 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 6,000 residents. A tsunami in 1964 caused by an earthquake in Alaska caused a wave 21 feet (6.4 meters) high to hit the city, killing 11 people and destroying its downtown.

“This will NOT be a single wave. Do NOT try to go to the coast to take photos,” the National Weather Service San Francisco Bay Area office posted on X.

The agency warned people could put themselves and any rescue teams that may be out at risk. The Bay Area is under a tsunami advisory. Communities further north are under a warning.

Vancouver

A tsunami of less than 30 centimetres (under 1 foot) was forecast to hit parts of Vancouver Island in western Canada.

The British Columbia provincial emergency preparedness agency said “multiple waves over time” were expected on the British Colombia coast. The agency said local governments should consider evacuating marinas, beaches and other areas near the ocean.

China

China’s Ministry of Natural Resources’ 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 0.3 to 1 metre (1 to 3 feet). Shanghai and Zhejiang are already under alert as Typhoon CoMay is expected to land in the Zhejiang province Wednesday.

Mexico

Mexico’s Navy says waves between 30 to 100 centimetres (1 to 3.3 feet) are expected on the Mexican Pacific coast after the tsunami set off by the 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Russia’s Far East.

In a report, the Navy’s tsunami warning center said the waves will begin to reach the northern coast in Ensenada, near California, at around 2.22am Wednesday central time in Mexico, and it will continue south along the Pacific coast until it reaches the Chiapas states around 7.15am local time.

The Pacific coast remains under a tsunami advisory, and the Navy recommended people stay away from the beaches until it suspends an alert.

New Zealand

New Zealand authorities issued warnings of “strong and unusual 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, officials said.

The alert sent to New Zealanders’ phones by the government emergency management agency said people should move out of the water, off beaches and shore areas and away from harbours, marinas, rivers and estuaries, but officials stopped short of issuing evacuation warnings.

Pacific island nations

Authorities 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 officials, but did not order evacuations.

Some tiny and low-lying Pacific island chains are among the world’s most imperiled by tsunamis and rising seas. Cautions to stay away from beaches until any wave surges passed late Wednesday were issued by officials in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia and Solomon Islands.