Russia massive earthquake triggers tsunami warnings in U.S., Japan: Here’s what we know so far
Residents and visitors found themselves backed up in traffic as they tried to leave the the Ala Wai Harbor, Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii on July 29, 2025, after an earthquake off Russia’s Far East prompted tsunami alerts.
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A powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula has triggered tsunami warnings in Japan and several states in the western United States, including Hawaii, Alaska and California.
The earthquake, which struck early Wednesday, triggered evacuation orders in Hawaii and Japan. The U.S. Coast Guard also ordered commercial vessels in harbors in Hawaii to evacuate.
So far, Hawaii has “not seen a wave of consequence, which is a great relief to us,” Hawaiian Governor Josh Green told reporters during a press conference. He said Hawaii registered two waves through the Midway Atoll, one measuring 30 centimeters and the other 3 feet, he said.
Green added that there was no major wave activity that was noticed past the “Big Island,” and that the state wouldn’t be “all clear” until two to three hours later. The conference was held at 8:20 p.m. local time.
Japan issued tsunami warnings for much of its eastern coastline, and lower level “advisories” in other parts of the country, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
The agency estimated that a tsunami would strike Hokkaido, the area of Japan that is closest to the quake’s epicenter, at 10 a.m. Japan local time, with an estimated maximum height of 3 meters.
Kiyomoto Masashi, an official from the Japan Meteorological Agency, cautioned people in coastal areas to move to higher ground, adding that tsunamis can occur for more than a day after the quake, according to local media.
Magnitude 8.8 earthquake strikes off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula
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A tsunami that averaged 3 meters to 4 meters (10-13 feet) was recorded in Kamchatka, Reuters reported, citing a Russian official.
Waves in Japan have been smaller, ranging from 30 centimeters to 1.3 meters, with the highest at Kuji Port in Iwate Prefecture, according to Japanese national broadcaster NHK Japan.
Travel disruptions
Several flights to Hawaii have returned to the U.S. mainland or been diverted, according to Hawaiian local media, citing a joint statement made by Hawaiian and Alaskan Airlines. Other flights have been put on hold as the carriers await more information, it said.
“We are monitoring a tsunami warning for the Hawaiian Islands and portions of the state of Alaska and assessing our flight operations. We are holding flight departures to the Islands on Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines,” the carriers said in a joint statement, according to Hawaii News Now.
All flights in and out of the Hawaiian island of Maui have been canceled, Green said during the press conference.
A tsunami is a series of long ocean waves, with crests that can last from five to 15 minutes or longer, according to the Hawaii’s Maui County website.
“The danger may persist for many more hours … Tsunami waves efficiently wrap around islands so all shores are at risk no matter which direction they face,” it states.
