Tsunami waves hit Northern California after 8.8 quake in Russia; warnings issued across U.S. West Coast, Hawaii, and Japan. Photo/X.
Tsunami waves generated by a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck the mainland United States just before 1 a.m. on Wednesday, with the northern Pacific region facing widespread danger from the surge.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Eureka, waves measuring approximately 3.6 feet reached Northern California’s coastline, hitting areas near Crescent City and Humboldt Bay. The waves arrived hours after the massive earthquake – the world’s largest in 14 years – was recorded 8.2 miles southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, around 7:24 p.m. ET.
Following the quake, the entire U.S. West Coast was placed under a tsunami advisory. A more urgent tsunami warning was issued for a section of Northern California’s coast, extending from the California-Oregon border to Cape Mendocino. This included Crescent City, which the NWS identified as being at the highest risk of inundation.
City officials in Crescent City, which has a population of under 6,000, warned that the tsunami threat would likely persist through the night. “High tide is projected to be at 3:30–4:00 am where we could see the higher surges arriving that may affect the lower lying areas,” Crescent City City Hall posted on Facebook. “This event is expected to last through tomorrow but we will know more in the morning.”
Tsunami waves also reached San Francisco at approximately 1:12 a.m. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
Earlier in the night, Hawaii experienced widespread evacuations as officials ordered people to move to higher ground. Hotel guests were advised to relocate to areas above the fourth floor as a precautionary measure.
The evacuation orders led to traffic gridlocks in several parts of the state. Commercial air travel was suspended at major airports, including Hilo International Airport, to accommodate emergency measures.
During the alert period, the highest wave recorded in Hawaii stood at 5.7 feet at Kahului, located on the north shore of Maui. By 10:45 p.m. local time, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency downgraded the tsunami warning to an advisory and lifted evacuation orders, allowing residents to return home.
In Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, which was closest to the earthquake’s epicenter, minor injuries and some damage were reported. Oleg Melnikov, head of the regional health department, stated that several individuals sustained injuries while fleeing buildings during the quake, including one hospital patient who was hurt after jumping out of a window.
Japan also responded swiftly to the tsunami threat, issuing evacuation orders to more than two million people across over 220 prefectures – from the northern island of Hokkaido to the southern region of Okinawa.
Also Read: Did Tsunami Hit Hawaii After The 8.8 Earthquake In Russia’s Far East? Here’s What We Know So Far
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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