Visualizing the Russia earthquake and tsunami in maps and charts
CNN tracked how it all happened, in maps and charts.
The earthquake, tied for the sixth-strongest ever recorded, sent massive tsunami waves across the ocean. The highest waves, as of 5:30 a.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday, reached up to 5.7 feet and were recorded mainly in Hawaii, as well as parts of California and Alaska.
Some tourists and locals in Maui reportedly spent the night in their vehicles after evacuating to higher ground.
Although nearly 2 million people were told to evacuate in Japan initially, all tsunami warnings have been lifted.
Tsunami warnings were issued in several countries — though by midday Wednesday Pacific Time many had been lifted or downgraded to advisories.
A tsunami warning means dangerous, widespread coastal flooding with strong currents is possible or already occurring, and evacuation is recommended, according to the National Weather Service.
A tsunami advisory means 'strong currents or waves dangerous to those in or very near the water' are possible in the region, and beach and harbor areas could flood. People under advisories should 'stay out of the water and away from beaches and waterways,' the weather service says.
Following the quake, various levels of tsunami alerts were issued for the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia, the Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
They were also issued across the US coastline, Hawaii and Canada. A small portion of the Northern California coast, just south of the Oregon border, was under a tsunami warning — the highest level alert — Wednesday morning local time. It has since been downgraded to an advisory.
Experts say tsunami warning systems thankfully seemed effective for evacuations and worked in a 'timely manner.' No casualties were reported in Russia.
CNN's Mary Gilbert, Ritu Prasad, Gerardo Lemos, Isa Cardona, Christian Edwards, Ivana Kottasova, Ivonne Valdés Garay, Darya Tarasova, Catherine Nicholls, Junko Ogura, Kara Fox Olivia Kemp and Lachlan Mykura contributed to this report
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