Tsunami warnings were issued after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Kamchatka Peninsula in far-eastern Russia, on July 30.
The depth of 19.3 km (12 miles) increased the potential threat of the tsunami. Reported waves were up to 4 meters high in the Kamchatka region, while 30-60 cm in Japan and 1 to 3 meters in the US.
US President Donald Trump requested Americans to stay on alert for Tsunami warnings. Hawaii Governor Josh Green said, “It will not hit one beach, it will wrap around the islands.” He asked people to evacuate.
The entire US West Coast were under a tsunami advisory and people were to stay away from marinas, beaches, and harbours.
In Russia, no serious injuries have been reported, but the waves damaged the buildings and led to evacuations, mobile phone service disruption, and power outages.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued warnings on the East Coast, and over 900,000 people were asked to evacuate in 133 municipalities.
Including Russia, the US, and Japan, the earthquake triggered Tsunami warnings in the Philippines, Peru, Chile, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Tonga, Ecuador, and some Pacific islands.
The earthquake is one of the world’s strongest in modern history. It is compared to the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck north-eastern Japan in 2011, which led to a massive tsunami.
According to the Geophysical Survey of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the earthquake was the strongest to hit the Kamchatka region since 1952.
Five powerful quakes hit the region early in July, the largest with a 7.4 magnitude, with a depth of 20 km in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
Japan was hit by a major tsunami in 2011 with a height of around 9.1 meters.