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Observer
9 hours ago
- Climate
- Observer
Powerful quake in Russia's far east causes tsunami
A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula triggered 4-metre (13-foot) tsunami waves and sparked evacuation orders across the Pacific on Wednesday. The shallow earthquake damaged buildings and injured several people in the remote Russian region, while much of Japan's eastern seaboard, devastated by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 2011, was ordered to evacuate. In Hawaii, coastal residents were told to get to high ground or the fourth floor or above of buildings, and the U.S. Coast Guard ordered ships out of harbours as the tsunami approached. "Take Action! Destructive tsunami waves expected," the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management said on X. Tsunami waves reaching 10-13 feet struck parts of Kamchatka, partially flooding the port and a fish processing plant in the town of Severo-Kurilsk and sweeping vessels from their moorings, regional officials and Russia's emergency ministry said. "Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors," Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app. Russia's Ministry for Emergency Services said on Telegram that a kindergarten was damaged, but most buildings withstood the quake. No serious injuries or fatalities have been reported. The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was shallow at a depth of 19.3 km (12 miles), and was centred 119 km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 165,000. It revised the magnitude up from 8.0 earlier and reported a series of strong aftershocks up to a magnitude of 6.9. A resident in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky reported that the shaking started slowly but gradually intensified and rumbled for several minutes. "Considering its strength and how long it lasted … I decided to leave the building," said Yaroslav, 25. "The building is very flimsy and light, which might be why it survived. But it felt like the walls could collapse at any moment. The shaking lasted continuously for at least 3 minutes.' Tsunami alarms sounded in coastal towns across Japan's Pacific coast, and evacuation orders were issued for tens of thousands of people. Workers evacuated the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, where a meltdown following the 2011 tsunami caused a radioactive disaster, operator TEPCO said. Footage on public broadcaster NHK showed scores of people in the northern island of Hokkaido on the roof of a building, sheltering under tents from the beating sun, as fishing boats left harbours to avoid potential damage from the incoming waves. Automaker Nissan Motor suspended operations at certain domestic factories in Japan to ensure employee safety, Kyodo news agency reported. Three tsunami waves had been recorded in Japan, the largest of 60cm (24 inches), officials said. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said there were no injuries or damage reported so far, and no irregularities at any nuclear plants. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System also warned of "hazardous tsunami waves" spreading across the Pacific. Waves reaching more than 3 metres were possible along some coasts of Russia, the northern Hawaiian islands, and Ecuador, while waves of 1-3 metres were possible in countries including Japan, Hawaii, Chil,e and the Solomon Islands, it said. Smaller waves were possible along coastlines across much of the Pacific, including the U.S. West Coast. "Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii," U.S. President Donald Trump said in a social media post. "A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States. Japan is also in the way. Please visit for the latest information. STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!" Several people in Kamchatka sought medical assistance following the quake, Oleg Melnikov, regional health minister, told Russia's TASS state news agency. "Unfortunately, there are some people injured during the seismic event. Some were hurt while running outside, and one patient jumped out of a window. A woman was also injured inside the new airport terminal,' Melnikov said. Kamchatka and Russia's Far East sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active region that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The Russian Academy of Sciences said it was the strongest quake to hit the region since 1952. "However, due to certain characteristics of the epicentre, the shaking intensity was not as high ... as one might expect from such a magnitude," said Danila Chebrov, director of the Kamchatka Branch of the Geophysical Service, on Telegram. "Aftershocks are currently ongoing ... Their intensity will remain fairly high. However, stronger tremors are not expected shortly. The situation is under control.'
American Military News
13 hours ago
- Climate
- American Military News
Video/Pic: US military bases threatened by tsunamis after 8.8 magnitude earthquake
U.S. military bases were placed on alert Tuesday night and Wednesday morning after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Russia triggered major tsunami warnings in Japan, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Alaska, Hawaii, and the West Coast of the United States. According to Stars and Stripes, the tsunami warnings were issued after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake rocked Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula at 8:24 a.m. (local time). NBC News reported that the 8.8 magnitude earthquake is the strongest earthquake since 2011 and is one of the top 10 earthquakes recorded across the globe. Russian state media reported that the massive earthquake resulted in tsunami waves that were over 13 feet high off the coast of Russia. According to Stars and Stripes, Japan's Meteorological Agency issued a warning that tsunami waves could reach between three feet and 10 feet along Japan's coast. In a Truth Social post on Tuesday night, Trump wrote, 'Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii. A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States. Japan is also in the way. Please visit for the latest information. STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!' READ MORE: Tsunami warning issued in Alaska after 7.3 magnitude earthquake Stars and Stripes reported that people were evacuated in the Japanese city of Yokosuka, which houses the U.S. 7th Fleet at U.S. Navy Base-Fleet Activities Yokosuka. The outlet noted that while most of the Navy's ships remained docked following the massive earthquake, at least six ships at a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force base were relocated due to the threat of tsunamis. In a Wednesday press release, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that 'Heavy Weather Condition Zulu,' which is the highest weather alert level, had been declared for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands and that U.S. Coast Guard cutters and small vessels were 'underway to ride out the event offshore.' In a statement obtained by Stars and Stripes, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Sara Muir said, 'We anticipate resuming Port Heavy Weather Condition Whiskey (our standard posture) and reopening the ports later this evening once the National Weather Service confirms any waves have subsided and we know we don't have any major impact or obstructions that could present a hazard.' Stars and Stripes reported that other U.S. bases that were placed under alert or were given guidance due to the threat of possible tsunamis included Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Naval Base San Diego, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, and Naval Base Kitsap. A video and picture shared on X, formerly Twitter, show some of the tsunami waves observed in Japan following the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Russia.
Irish Independent
15 hours ago
- Climate
- Irish Independent
Volcano in Russia's far east starts erupting after earthquake
A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula triggered tsunami waves of up to 5 metres (16 feet) and sparked evacuation orders in Hawaii and across the Pacific on Wednesday. The shallow earthquake damaged buildings and injured several people in the remote Russian region, while much of Japan's eastern seaboard - devastated by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 2011 - was ordered to evacuate. In Hawaii, coastal residents were told to get to high ground or the fourth floor or above of buildings, and the U.S. Coast Guard ordered ships out of harbours as the tsunami approached. "Take Action! Destructive tsunami waves expected," the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management said on X. Shortly after 0600 GMT, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said 1-1.2-metre waves were impacting the Hawaiian islands. Hawaii Governor Josh Green said so far no waves of consequence hit the islands but all flights in and out of Maui were cancelled. Tsunami waves struck parts of Kamchatka, partially flooding the port and a fish processing plant in the town of Severo-Kurilsk and sweeping vessels from their moorings, regional officials and Russia's emergency ministry said. "Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors," Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app. Russian scientists said it was the most powerful quake to hit the region since 1952. Russia's Ministry for Emergency Services said on Telegram that a kindergarten was damaged but most buildings withstood the quake. No serious injuries or fatalities have been reported. The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was shallow at a depth of 19.3 km (12 miles), and centred 119 km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 165,000. It revised the magnitude up from 8.0 earlier, and reported a series of strong aftershocks up to a magnitude of 6.9. A resident in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky said the shaking rumbled for several minutes. "I decided to leave the building," said Yaroslav, 25. "It felt like the walls could collapse any moment. The shaking lasted continuously for at least 3 minutes.'
Daily Maverick
16 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Maverick
Tsunami waves reach Hawaii after huge quake rattles Russia's Far East
The shallow earthquake damaged buildings and injured several people in the remote Russian region, while much of Japan's eastern seaboard – devastated by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 2011 – was ordered to evacuate. A resident in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky said the shaking went on for several minutes. 'I decided to leave the building,' said Yaroslav, 25. 'It felt like the walls could collapse any moment. The shaking lasted continuously for at least 3 minutes.' Video footage released by the region's health ministry showed a team of medics in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky performing surgery as the tremors shook their equipment and the floor beneath them. Tsunami waves struck parts of Kamchatka, partially flooding the port and a fish processing plant in the town of Severo-Kurilsk and sweeping vessels from their moorings, regional officials and Russia's emergency ministry said. Verified drone footage showed the town's entire shoreline was submerged, with taller buildings and some storage facilities surrounded by water, which was seen pouring back into the sea. 'Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors,' Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app. Russian scientists said it was the most powerful to hit the region since 1952. In Hawaii, waves of up to 1.7 metres (5.5 feet) impacted the islands before the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reduced its warning level for the state around 0850 GMT, saying no major tsunami was expected. Coastal residents were earlier told to get to high ground or the fourth floor or above of buildings, and the U.S. Coast Guard ordered ships out of harbours. Flights out of Honolulu airport resumed later, the transportation department said, while the main airport in Maui remained closed with passengers sheltering in the terminal. Tsunami waves of nearly half a metre were observed as far as California, with smaller ones reaching Canada's province of British Columbia. WARNINGS ACROSS THE PACIFIC The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was shallow at a depth of 19.3 km (12 miles), and centred 119 km (74 miles) east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 165,000. Tsunami alarms sounded in coastal towns across Japan's Pacific coast and evacuation orders were issued for tens of thousands of people. Workers evacuated the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, where a meltdown following the 2011 tsunami caused a radioactive disaster, operator TEPCO said. Footage on public broadcaster NHK showed scores of people on the northern island of Hokkaido on the roof of a building, sheltering under tents from the sun, as fishing boats left harbours to avoid any damage from incoming waves. Broadcaster Asahi TV reported a 58-year-old woman died when her car fell off a cliff while she was evacuating in central Japan's Mie prefecture. Automaker Nissan Motor 7201.T suspended operations at some factories in Japan to ensure employee safety, Kyodo news agency reported. Three tsunami waves had been recorded in Japan, the largest of 1.3 metres (4.3 feet), officials said. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said no injuries or damage had been reported, and there were no irregularities at any nuclear plants. Tsunami waves of 1 to 3 metres (3-9 feet) can be fatal for people who are swept away, said NHK. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said waves of more than 3 metres were possible along some coasts of Russia, the northern Hawaiian islands and Ecuador, while waves of 1-3 metres were possible in countries including Japan, Hawaii, Chile and the Solomon Islands. 'RING OF FIRE' Russia's Ministry for Emergency Services said on Telegram that a kindergarten was damaged but most buildings withstood the quake. No serious injuries or fatalities have been reported. Several people in Kamchatka sought medical assistance following the quake, Oleg Melnikov, regional health minister, told Russia's TASS state news agency. In Severo-Kurilsk in the northern Kuril islands, south of Kamchatka, tsunami waves exceeded 3 metres, with the largest up to 5 metres, Russia's RIA news agency reported. Alexander Ovsyannikov, the town's mayor, urged residents to assess damage to their homes and not to use gas stove heating until inspections had been carried out. Kamchatka and Russia's Far East sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active region that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. 'However, due to certain characteristics of the epicentre, the shaking intensity was not as high … as one might expect from such a magnitude,' said Danila Chebrov, director of the Kamchatka Branch of the Geophysical Service, on Telegram. 'Aftershocks are currently ongoing … Their intensity will remain fairly high. However, stronger tremors are not expected in the near future. The situation is under control.'
The Sun
18 hours ago
- Climate
- The Sun
Tsunami waves hit Hawaii after 8.8 quake rocks Russia's Far East
TOKYO: A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula triggered tsunami waves of up to 5 metres (16 feet) and sparked evacuation orders in Hawaii and across the Pacific on Wednesday. The shallow earthquake damaged buildings and injured several people in the remote Russian region, while much of Japan's eastern seaboard - devastated by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 2011 - was ordered to evacuate. In Hawaii, coastal residents were told to get to high ground or the fourth floor or above of buildings, and the U.S. Coast Guard ordered ships out of harbours as the tsunami approached. 'Take Action! Destructive tsunami waves expected,' the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management said on X. Shortly after 0600 GMT, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said 1-1.2-metre waves were impacting the Hawaiian islands. Hawaii Governor Josh Green said so far no waves of consequence hit the islands but all flights in and out of Maui were cancelled. Tsunami waves struck parts of Kamchatka, partially flooding the port and a fish processing plant in the town of Severo-Kurilsk and sweeping vessels from their moorings, regional officials and Russia's emergency ministry said. 'Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors,' Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov said in a video posted on the Telegram messaging app. Russian scientists said it was the most powerful quake to hit the region since 1952. Russia's Ministry for Emergency Services said on Telegram that a kindergarten was damaged but most buildings withstood the quake. No serious injuries or fatalities have been reported. The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was shallow at a depth of 19.3 km (12 miles), and centred 119 km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 165,000. It revised the magnitude up from 8.0 earlier, and reported a series of strong aftershocks up to a magnitude of 6.9. A resident in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky said the shaking rumbled for several minutes. 'I decided to leave the building,' said Yaroslav, 25. 'It felt like the walls could collapse any moment. The shaking lasted continuously for at least 3 minutes.' Tsunami alarms sounded in coastal towns across Japan's Pacific coast and evacuation orders were issued for tens of thousands of people. Workers evacuated the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, where a meltdown following the 2011 tsunami caused a radioactive disaster, operator TEPCO said. Footage on public broadcaster NHK showed scores of people on the northern island of Hokkaido on the roof of a building, sheltering under tents from the beating sun, as fishing boats left harbours to avoid potential damage from the incoming waves. Automaker Nissan Motor suspended operations at certain domestic factories in Japan to ensure employee safety, Kyodo news agency reported. Three tsunami waves had been recorded in Japan, the largest of 1.3 metres (4.3 feet), officials said. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said there were no injuries or damage reported so far, and no irregularities at any nuclear plants. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System also warned of 'hazardous tsunami waves' spreading across the Pacific. Waves reaching more than 3 metres were possible along some coasts of Russia, the northern Hawaiian islands and Ecuador, while waves of 1-3 metres were possible in countries including Japan, Hawaii, Chile and the Solomon Islands, it said. Smaller waves were possible along coastlines across much of the Pacific, including the U.S. West Coast. 'Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii,' U.S. President Donald Trump said in a social media post. 'A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States.' Several people in Kamchatka sought medical assistance following the quake, Oleg Melnikov, regional health minister, told Russia's TASS state news agency. In Severo-Kurilsk in the northern Kuril islands, south of Kamchatka, tsunami waves exceeded 3 metres, with the largest up to 5 metres, Russia's RIA news agency reported. Alexander Ovsyannikov, the town's mayor, said four tsunami waves had passed. He urged residents to assess damage to their homes and not to use gas stove heating until inspections had been carried out, in order to avoid a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Power to the Sakhalin region had been cut off due to damage to the electricity grid, RIA said, citing the regional governor. Kamchatka and Russia's Far East sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active region that is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The Russian Academy of Sciences said it was the strongest quake to hit the region since 1952. 'However, due to certain characteristics of the epicentre, the shaking intensity was not as high ... as one might expect from such a magnitude,' said Danila Chebrov, director of the Kamchatka Branch of the Geophysical Service, on Telegram. 'Aftershocks are currently ongoing ... Their intensity will remain fairly high. However, stronger tremors are not expected in the near future. The situation is under control.' - Reuters
