Global Panic: Massive 8.8 Earthquake Triggers Widespread Tsunami Alerts In 4 Continents
Hawaii, Alaska, and parts of coastal California under tsunami warnings as waves begin to hit Japan and Russia following one of the strongest quakes in recent decades
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The tremor triggered immediate tsunami alerts across much of the Pacific Rim. In Hawaii, authorities urged residents to evacuate to higher ground, with the first waves expected to arrive around 7:17 p.m. local time.
Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and parts of the state’s coastal mainland are also under tsunami warnings, with wave arrival predicted around 4:46 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time.
Several other nations have issued tsunami alerts, including Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand, and French Polynesia.
A powerful earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale struck the Pacific Ocean Tuesday evening near the eastern coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. The quake’s epicenter was located roughly 85 miles east of Kamchatsky and 11 miles below the ocean floor.
U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the situation on social media, warning Americans:
“A Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii. A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States. Japan is also in the way. STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!”
This earthquake ranks as the third strongest globally in the past 25 years and the most powerful since the devastating 2011 quake and tsunami in Japan.
"Hawaii Governor Josh Green has declared a State of Emergency, anticipating potential tsunami waves that may affect the Hawaiian Islands in the coming hours ... Severe traffic congestion is occurring across Hawaii as residents and tourists rush to evacuate coastal areas in anticipation of tsunami waves, with expected wave heights of 3 to 12 feet" as reported by Open Source Intel.
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Reports confirm that the first waves already hit Severo-Kurilsk in Russia’s Kuril Islands, where evacuations were promptly executed.
Japan’s meteorological authorities anticipate waves up to 10 feet hitting the coasts of Hokkaido and Honshu, with tsunami arrival expected in Fukushima around 11 a.m. local time.
Four whales washed ashore in Tateyama City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. This could have occurred "because of the rapid and dramatic changes in water levels and currents near the coast. While deep in the ocean, whales are typically unaffected by tsunami waves, when these waves approach shore, the water initially pulls back strongly, which can strand whales near the beach temporarily." (Hindustan Times)
Multiple Latin American nations including Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Chile, Colombia, and Costa Rica have also activated tsunami alerts.
Officials are still assessing the full extent of the tsunami threat, but the scale of alerts and evacuations already underway points to the seriousness of the situation.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center continues to monitor the event and issue updates in real time as the region braces for possible impact