Pacific Coasts Hit With Tsunami Warnings After Massive Earthquake

Tsunami warnings went into effect across the Pacific Ocean after a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia Kamchatka Peninsula yesterday.

The quake struck just 74 miles away from the coastal city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, located on the east side of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula in Siberia. The epicenter was around 12.8 miles deep, making it a relatively shallow quake-- while shallow earthquakes are felt over a smaller area, they do more damage in that area. Additionally, the earthquake is tied for the sixth-strongest ever recorded, with a staggering magnitude of 8.8.

Tsunami warnings quickly flooded islands and coasts across the Pacific, as earthquakes can spark waves that travel hundreds of miles across oceans. Islands stretching south through Oceania were hit with warnings of incoming waves of between 3-10 feet, while coasts across the Americas and Asia -- including the US, Philippines, China, and Japan -- were impacted with advisories and warnings as well.

Russia received the brunt of the impact, with the quake damaging countless buildings in Kamchatka and tsunamis of over 13 feet sweeping onto the coasts. Numerous severe aftershocks have done even more damage, with several of them exceeding a magnitude of 6.

The Japanese island of Hokkaido was one of the first to report an increase in water levels, but the tsunamis averaged around one foot high. While forecasts initially expected waves of up to 10 feet, the levels stayed much lower than that, avoiding major damage.

Additionally, Alaska reported minor tsunamis of a similar water level, but the Aleutian Islands, which are geographically relatively close to the epicenter, received a larger tsunami. Thankfully, the islands are mostly uninhabited, so the waves did not do much damage.

However, Midway Atoll, located in the middle of the Pacific, reported waves last night of around 3 feet, suggesting a higher risk of a large tsunami in Hawaii. Warnings were issued across the island chain, and traffic piled up on highways as residents scrambled to get to higher ground. As the water began receding, concerns of a significant tsunami increased, and the islands were slammed with waves of 4-6 feet last night. Also, the tsunamis did not simply hit the state from one side; as Hawaii Governor Josh Green stated, they wrapped around the islands, flooding from all sides, and there were multiple rounds of them.

Furthermore, much of the West Coast of the United States was placed under tsunami watches last night as the waves approached, with tsunamis of several feet hitting California, Oregon, and Washington. Crescent City, an area of northern California, was issued a tsunami warning due to its underwater geography, making it more susceptible to tsunamis. Waves there peaked at around 8 feet, and are expected to persist for the next 24 hours.

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