Tsunami alert issued for Japan, Pacific Islands after magnitude 8.7 earthquake off Russia
The earthquake was recorded at 7:24 p.m. ET, about 84 miles east-southeast of of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The agency said the quake was shallow, at a depth of about 12 miles.
The earthquake prompted Japan and the U.S. Tsunami Warning Center to issue tsunami warnings. A tsunami alert was also issued for the Pacific islands and the USGS said there was a threat to the Northern Mariana islands of Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan.
The Japan Weather Agency said it expected a tsunami of approximately 3.28 feet to reach large coastal areas starting around 9 p.m. ET. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued a warning of "hazardous tsunami waves" within the next three hours along some coasts of Russia and Japan.
Emergency management officials in Hawaii issued a tsunami watch for the state. The agency noted that if tsunami waves were to impact the state, the earliest estimated time of arrival would be 1:17 a.m. ET.
"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 Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said in a statement. "An investigation is underway to determine whether there is a threat to Hawaii."
What do tsunami alerts mean?
The National Weather Service said tsunami messages are issued by the tsunami warning centers to alert local authorities and the public of a possible tsunami. There are four levels of tsunami alerts, according to the weather service:
Contributing: Reuters
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