Earthquake off Russia's Far East Triggers Tsunami Warnings in Hawaii and Japan

Residents and visitors found themselves backed up in traffic as they tried to leave the Ala Wai Harbor, Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii on July 29, 2025, after an earthquake off Russia's Far East prompted tsunami alerts.

A powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula has triggered tsunami warnings in Japan and several states in the western United States, including Hawaii, Alaska, and California.

The earthquake, which struck early Wednesday, triggered evacuation orders in Hawaii and Japan. The U.S. Coast Guard also ordered commercial vessels in harbors in Hawaii to evacuate.

So far, Hawaii has \"not seen a wave of consequence, which is a great relief to us,\" Hawaiian Governor Josh Green told reporters during a press conference. He said Hawaii registered two waves through the Midway Atoll, one measuring 30 centimeters and the other 3 feet.

Green added that there was no major wave activity that was noticed past the \"Big Island,\" and that the state wouldn't be \"all clear\" until two to three hours later. The conference was held at 8:20 p.m. local time.

Japan issued tsunami warnings for much of its eastern coastline, and lower level \"advisories\" in other parts of the country, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The agency estimated that a tsunami would strike Hokkaido, the area of Japan that is closest to the quake's epicenter, at 10 a.m. Japan local time, with an estimated maximum height of 3 meters.

Kiyomoto Masashi, an official from the Japan Meteorological Agency, cautioned people in coastal areas to move to higher ground, adding that tsunamis can occur for more than a day after the quake, according to local media.

According to the source: CNBC.