SEVERO-KURILSK, RUSSIA – Reports say that the first tsunami waves, caused by a strong 8.7 magnitude earthquake off the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia, have hit the shore of Russia at Severo-Kurilsk. Videos posted on social media site X claim to show buildings being flooded by rising sea levels, while stills taken from a higher point of view demonstrate how badly the afflicted areas have been affected. Hindustan Times said it couldn’t verify the pictures on its own, but other reports confirm that the port town was flooded.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) first said the earthquake was an 8.0, but later raised it to an 8.7. It happened at a shallow depth of 19.3 km (12 miles) and was centered at 125 km (80 miles) east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a coastal city in Russia’s Far East. Along some portions of the Kamchatka coast, waves as high as 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet) have been reported. Russian emergency services have told people to leave Severo-Kurilsk and other impacted localities. According to Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov, the tremor was “serious and the strongest in decades.”
This area, which is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, is known for having a lot of earthquakes and tsunamis. The latest earthquake has led to many tsunami warnings and watches around the Pacific.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned that waves up to three meters (9.8 feet) high could approach the country’s northern and eastern beaches. Japanese officials have told anyone living along the coast to leave right once and go to higher ground. They have also cautioned that tsunami waves can hit many times, and that the next waves could be bigger. In northern Hokkaido, the first waves, which are about 30–40 cm (1–1.3 feet) high, have already been seen.
A tsunami watch is in effect for several US states, including California, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. Hawaii, on the other hand, is under a low-level tsunami warning. The US Tsunami Warning Centers have sent out warnings for different coastal areas, telling people to stay vigilant and heed local advice. The Honolulu Department of Emergency Management told people to leave several coastal areas of Hawaii because they thought “destructive tsunami waves” were coming. The Indian Consulate General in San Francisco is keeping a close eye on the situation and has told Indian citizens living in Hawaii and affected US West Coast states to stay alert, watch for official alerts, move to higher ground if an alert is issued, stay away from the coast, and be ready for emergencies with charged devices.
In addition to Russia, Japan, and the US, other Pacific states and territories, such as Ecuador, Guam, and several Micronesian islands, are also looking into the possibility of tsunamis. Warnings and watches are in effect across a large area of the Pacific.