Hawaii's Tsunami Warning Canceled After 7.4-Magnitude Earthquake Near Russia Prompted Alert
A large 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, on Sunday, July 20
Hawaii and multiple areas near the Pacific briefly issued tsunami warnings following the earthquake
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cancelled the alert after determining there was no threat at 9:42 p.m Hawaii timeA tsunami watch in Hawaii has been canceled after a huge earthquake near Russia's Kamchatka region.
On Sunday, July 20, multiple earthquakes, including one that was 7.4 magnitude, struck the Russian coast. The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center (USNTWC) initially issued a tsunami watch for Hawaii as a result at 9:03 p.m. local time on Saturday.
'Based on all available data, a tsunami may have been generated by this earthquake that could be destructive on coastal areas even far from the epicenter,' the alert warned. 'An investigation is underway to determine if there is a tsunami threat to Hawaii.'
The tsunami was originally estimated to arrive earliest at 2:43 a.m. local time on Sunday.
'Tsunami Watch Issued — Prepare to Act! A Tsunami Watch means a tsunami is possible, but the situation is still being evaluated,' the Oahu Emergency Management team initially wrote on X.
The tsunami watch was later cancelled at 9:42 p.m. due to there being no immediate threat, Hawaii News Now reported.
A tsunami watch is issued when an earthquake has taken place and could potentially cause a tsunami in impacted areas.
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The alert came after a series of smaller earthquakes hit Kamchatka on Sunday, with a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hitting at 6:35 a.m. local time, per USNTWC.
"A tsunami wave with a height of no more than 60 cm is possible to approach the Aleutian Municipal District, no more than 40 cm to the Ust-Kamchatka Municipal District, and no more than 15 cm to the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka District," the Ministry of Emergency Situations said in an initial warning statement, per ABC News.
Tsunami watches were also issued in Canada, Indonesia, and Japan before they were all cancelled.
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