A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake shook Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula early on Wednesday, 30 June, triggering tsunami waves across the Pacific and prompting large-scale evacuations from Russia to Japan and the US.
The tremor stands as the most forceful earthquake to occur since Japan’s devastating 9.0-magnitude quake in 2011 and the sixth most powerful ever documented.
The quake, which originated just 20.7 kilometers beneath the surface, generated tsunami waves that raced across the Pacific Ocean.
Seismologists have warned that post-quake shocks could reach magnitudes as high as 7.5. in the coming days or weeks, posing continued risks to infrastructure and populations.
Russia the epicenter
The earthquake struck 119 kilometers east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, sending violent tremors through this remote peninsula. Buildings shook, foundations cracked, and residents fled into the streets as emergency sirens blared.
The hardest hit area was Severo-Kurilsk in the Kuril Islands, where tsunami waves averaging 3-4 meters, with peaks reaching 5 meters, inundated the port and swept structures inland. All 2,000 residents were evacuated.
In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 200 kilometers from the epicenter, a kindergarten was damaged, and hospitals were forced to halt surgical operations. Russia reported no fatalities, although a few mild injuries have been recorded.
Hours later, the quake triggered an eruption from Klyuchevskoy, a live volcano in Kamchatka.
Japan’s mass evacuation
As the tsunami waves headed southwest toward Japan, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued alerts covering coastal prefectures from Hokkaido to Wakayama. Approximately 2 million people across 133 municipalities were evacuated to higher ground or moved further inland.
In Japan, wave heights were much lower than feared – typically 30 cm to 60 cm – with the highest recorded being 1.3 m in Iwate Prefecture.
As a precaution, workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant were evacuated, but no safety or radiation anomalies were detected.
Tragically, one person in Mie Prefecture died indirectly during the evacuation. By Wednesday evening, most tsunami warnings across Japan had been downgraded to advisories.
Pacific Rim on alert
North America
Following the quake, tsunami warnings spanned North America’s Pacific coastlines, from the U.S. through Canada into Mexico.
In Hawaii, waves of up to 1.7 m flooded Kahului Harbor in Maui, causing evacuations and temporary disruptions to air travel. Midway Atoll and Oʻahu’s north shore saw waves of 1.8 m. Advisories were lifted later that morning.
In California and Oregon, wave heights ranged between 30–60 cm, with Crescent City recording up to 1 m and minor dock damage.
Alaska’s Aleutian Islands stayed under advisory due to their proximity to the epicenter, but no significant impacts have been reported.
Latin America
Several Latin American nations issued urgent tsunami alerts as the earthquake sent waves across the Pacific.
In Chile, the authorities raised alerts to the highest level along the Pacific coast, including Easter Island, instructing residents to move to higher ground.
Colombia declared a red alert in the Chocó and Nariño regions, prompting beach and low-lying area evacuations ahead of the anticipated strong currents.
Peru closed 65 of its 121 Pacific ports and restricted coastal roads near Lima, with emergency authorities forecasting tsunami waves of between 1.0 and 2.3 meters arriving between 10:07 a.m. and 12:31 p.m. local time.
Meanwhile, Ecuador issued a tsunami advisory for the Galápagos Islands, suspended maritime activity, and evacuated vulnerable coastal communities.
Asia-Pacific
Similarly, multiple Pacific and Asian countries issued tsunami warnings following the Kamchatka quake.
In New Zealand, officials initially issued and then canceled the tsunami advisory, but reinstated it after the tsunami magnitude was upgraded. People living along all coastal regions, spanning the North and South Islands, Stewart Island, and the Chatham Islands, were advised to avoid beaches, harbors, rivers, and marinas because of powerful and unpredictable currents.
In the Philippines, officials warned of waves up to 1 meter, and Taiwan forecast similar wave heights of 0.3 cm to 1 meter along southeastern and southwestern coasts.
China initially issued a yellow alert for eastern provinces, including Shanghai and Zhejiang, anticipating 30–40 cm waves, but later lifted this as conditions improved.
Current status
As of Wednesday evening, most tsunami warnings across the countries affected had been downgraded to advisories or lifted entirely.
The tsunami alert system has three levels: a ‘warning’ signals immediate danger and calls for evacuation, a ‘watch’ indicates a potential threat, and an ‘advisory’ warns of strong currents and dangerous waves without likely flooding, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
Here is the tsunami status across the globe as of Wednesday, 30/5/2025:
Tsunami watch remains in effect for:
- Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, and French Polynesia
Warnings still active in:
- Chile (most of the Pacific coast), Easter Island, and Peru.
Advisories continue in:
- New Zealand, Japan (Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Kyushu).
Advisories/warnings lifted entirely:
- Canada: Advisory canceled for British Columbia’s coast
- Russia: The advisory was withdrawn 11 hours after the quake occurred
- Guam, Northern Marianas, and the Philippines – all threats cleared
- US: Hawaii, California, Washington, and Oregon
- Colombia
- Mexico
- Ecuador
