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Tsunami warning: Know which areas in US, Japan at risk after Russia earthquake
Japan expected tsunami waves up to 1 metre from 0100 GMT, with eastern Hokkaido likely to be hit around 90 minutes after the quake.
The US Tsunami Warning System issued a warning on Tuesday (local time) for “hazardous tsunami waves” expected within three hours along parts of the Russian and Japanese coasts after a magnitude 8 earthquake struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
Hawaii in the US is also under a tsunami watch, which was issued at 1.33 pm Hawaii Standard Time (HST) on Tuesday. The Alaska-based National Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for parts of the Aleutian Islands and the US West Coast, including California, Oregon, and Washington.
The advisory also includes a vast swath of Alaska’s coast line, including parts of the panhandle.
A tsunami watch was also declared for Guam and other Micronesian islands, which are part of the Pacific Islands.
Kamchatka and Russia’s Far East lie along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
The Japan Meteorological Agency anticipated tsunami waves of up to 1 metre (3.3 feet), with coastal areas likely affected from around 0100 GMT.
A tsunami was specifically expected to reach eastern Hokkaido approximately 90 minutes after the quake. Japan classified the situation as a tsunami advisory, which is a lower-level alert compared to a tsunami warning.
The Japanese government formed a task force to monitor developments and respond to any emergency.
University of Tokyo seismologist Shinichi Sakai explained that even distant shallow earthquakes can generate tsunamis that reach Japan.
Japan, also situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, is among the most earthquake-prone countries globally.
Following the quake, Sakhalin Governor Valery Limarenko announced an evacuation order for Severo-Kurilsk, a small town south of the Kamchatka Peninsula, due to the tsunami threat.
Strong quake in Russia
Officials confirmed that a powerful magnitude 8.6 earthquake hit off Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, triggering tsunami warnings and evacuations and causing some structural damage.
A tsunami measuring 3 to 4 metres (10–13 feet) was observed in parts of Kamchatka, said Sergei Lebedev, the regional minister for emergency situations, who urged residents to move away from the peninsula’s shoreline.
Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov, in a video shared on Telegram, stated, "Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors." He noted that no injuries were reported so far, though a kindergarten sustained damage.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake was shallow, occurring at a depth of 19.3 km (12 miles). The epicentre was located about 125 km (80 miles) east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a coastal city with a population of 165,000 near Avacha Bay. The USGS also revised the magnitude from an initial 8.0 to 8.6.
(With inputs from Reuters, AP)
