Russia Tsunami Live Updates: Hawaii Airports On High Alert, DOT Issues Statement

Russia Earthquake, Tsunami Live Updates: A colossal magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's Far East on July 30, triggered tsunami waves hitting Russia and Japan.

REPRESENTATIVE PICTURE

A colossal magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's Far East early Wednesday, July 30, 2025, unleashing tsunami waves across the northern Pacific and triggering widespread alerts from Alaska and Hawaii to coastal regions as far south as New Zealand.

Tsunami warning sirens howled through Honolulu on Tuesday night (local time, equating to Wednesday in Russia), with people rushing at once to higher ground as the US National Weather Service's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued warnings of possible damaging waves for all islands in Hawaii.

Early reports have confirmed that some places were hit by tsunami waves already. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) detected a 40-centimetre (1.3 feet) tsunami in Tokachi, on the south coast of Japan's northernmost principal island, Hokkaido.

In Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, closest to the epicenter of the earthquake, officials reported building damage and ordered evacuations. Valery Limarenko, Sakhalin Oblast Governor, verified that the first tsunami wave hit Severo-Kurilsk, the main town of Russia's Kuril Islands. He ensured that people, who had evacuated to higher ground, were safe and would remain there until danger from follow-on waves had passed. Damage was reported, but initial reports say there are no serious injuries.

Understanding Tsunamis:

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) defines tsunamis as giant ocean waves usually caused by abrupt vertical displacement of the seafloor. Such displacements are most often result from enormous earthquakes, in which shallow faults move, or massive landslide submersions. As these powerful waves travel along the ocean and reach shallower coastal water, they build tremendous height and tend to cause catastrophic inundation.

Governments throughout the Pacific Rim remain vigilant, encouraging all coastal communities to follow local emergency notices and stay clear of shorelines until all warnings are formally rescinded.

30 July 2025

30 July 2025 17:43 IST

Tsunami Live Updates: Japan Downgrades Warning

Japan downgrades its last remaining tsunami alert but tsunami advisories remain in place for its Pacific coast.

30 July 2025 14:47 IST

Russia Tsunami Live Updates: Colombia Orders Evacuation Of Pacific Beaches Amid Tsunami Alert After 8.8 Magnitude Russia Quake

Colombian authorities on Wednesday issued evacuation orders for residents along the Pacific beaches and coastal regions after a tsunami warning was issued in response to the 8.8-magnitude earthquake near Russia's eastern coast, as per media reports.