A 8.8-scaled quake was witnessed off the eastern coast of Russia early on Wednesday and generated strong waves of tsunami toward Japan and alerted the Pacific Ocean basin. The focus was close to the Russian Far Eastern city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
Tsunami hit Russia and Japan
Russia Kuril Islands Up to 1013-foot (34-meter) waves hit Russia Kuril Islands and the Kamchatka Peninsula, flooding the coastal regions, the port town of Severo-Kurilsk and an adjacent fish processing enterprise. Immediately evacuations were commanded. Few individuals were slightly injured, of which a lady was assaulted within one of the new terminals at airport and few other people were injured in the course of escaping.
One kindergarten in Petropavlovsk was destroyed, there have been no deaths reported yet. The Governor of Kamchatka, Vladimir Solodov described it as the most powerful earthquake in decades.
The tsunami waves were also felt in Japan northern island of Hokkaido following the earthquake. Agency have also been given warnings in large sections of the Japanese eastern seaboard by Japan Meteorological Agency with residents being advised to move to evacuation grounds.
Fishing boats were pulled into harbors and those who stayed in coastal towns would run to the roof tops or elevated grounds as Tsunami sirens were heard in coastal towns. People in Fukushima Prefecture could be seen on the higher places observing the coast, and emergency sounds were heard on local broadcasts.
Tsunami Alerts Across the Pacific
The U.S. Tsunami Warning Center posted Tsunami Warnings along Hawaii, western Alaska and the U.S West Coast including California. British Columbia was also put under a Tsunami Advisory in Canada.
Those at Hawaii started carrying out evacuations of the low-lying places and the advised residents was to evacuate to either higher places or at least the 4th floor of the buildings. Hawaii Governor Josh Green declared the warning to be very clear that people need to evacuate because the tsunami is potentially devastating.
Dealing with the already serious situation, the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management prompted an aggressive message on social media:
“Take Action! Catastrophic Destructive waves of tsunami to be expected.”
Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, has admitted that the coast of California was in tsunami warning on the Northern part of the US state. Regions leading the coasts of Ecuador, Chile, and Solomon islands were also put on alert as it was projected that 3 to 10 feet of waves would hit the area. Small waves were extrapolated over large areas in the Pacific such as the U.S. West Coast.
International Response
The U.S. president Donald Trump recognized the situation saying:
Due to a huge earthquake that has taken place in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning has been issued to those people living in Hawaii. There is a Tsunami Watch in Alaska and Pacific Coast of the United States. There is also Japan in the way.”
Although the earthquake and tsunami was dramatic in the scale, the Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, Yoshimasa Hayashi confirmed that there were no reported injuries and huge losses in Japan so far.
Where Do the Children Go?
There is high alert of emergency across the Pacific. Law enforcement is paying close attention to the activity of waves and encouraging the people to stay at evacuation centers and listen to safety alerts. This is an unfolding story and developments will be given as they occur.
Dutt Sanidhy
Hi, I’m Dutt Sanidhy, a writer who finds joy in expressing thoughts through words. Whether it’s fiction, poetry, or everyday reflections, I love turning ideas into stories that connect with people. Writing is not just my passion—it’s my way of understanding the world and sharing what I feel with others.