Pacific Tsunami Threat: Over 40 Countries On Alert After Magnitude 8.7 Kamchatka Earthquake | Check Full List Here

A powerful magnitude 8.7 earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, has put over 40 Pacific countries and islands under tsunami threat.

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A strong magnitude 8.7 earthquake that hit off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula during the early hours of Wednesday, July 30, 2025, has set off a pan-Pacific tsunami risk, with waves already hitting the northern island of Japan and parts of Russia's Kuril Islands.

The US tsunami warning system released extensive warnings, specifying the possible height of tsunami waves in dozens of countries and islands of the Pacific. Officials are calling for coastal residents to be on alert and comply with all instructions.

Pacific-Wide Tsunami Threat Levels:

Tsunami Waves Over 3 Meters Possible:

• Ecuador
• Russia (Kamchatka and Kuril Islands)
• Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
• Tsunami Waves Between 1 to 3 Meters Possible:
• Chile
• Costa Rica
• French Polynesia
• Guam
• Hawaii
• Japan (main islands and coastal communities)
• Jarvis Island
• Johnston Atoll
• Kiribati
• Midway Island
• Palmyra Island
• Peru
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Tsunami Waves Between 0.3 to 1 Meter Possible:
• Antarctica
• Australia
• Chuuk
• Colombia
• Cook Islands
• El Salvador
• Fiji
• Guatemala
• Howland and Baker Islands
• Indonesia
• Kermadec Islands
• Kosrae
• Marshall Islands
• Mexico
• Nauru
• New Caledonia
• New Zealand
• Nicaragua
• Niue
• Northern Mariana Islands
• Palau
• Panama
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Pitcairn Islands
• Pohnpei
• Taiwan
• Tokelau
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu
• Wake Island
• Wallis and Futuna
• American Samoa
• Yap

Tsunami Waves Less Than 0.3 Meters Possible:

• Brunei
• China
• North Korea (DPRK)
• Malaysia
• South Korea (Republic of Korea)
• Vietnam

Along with direct impacts of tsunami waves, New Zealand's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has put out a warning for dangerous and unpredictable sea currents and surges on its coastline. "Strong surges and currents can hurt and drown individuals," NEMA said, cautioning swimmers, surfers, anglers, and individuals in the vicinity of water near beaches, harbors, marinas, rivers, and estuaries to get out of coastal areas, harbors, marinas, rivers, and estuaries.

Emergency responders in the impacted areas are operating at maximum capacity, with evacuations taking place in risk-prone coastal cities such as Severo-Kurilsk in Russia. Initial accounts out of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky suggest panic, blackout conditions, and light damage. Officials remain on high alert as the full effects of the tsunami play out on the expansive Pacific basin