Strong earthquake near Russia prompts tsunami warning for Hawaii, advisories for West Coast

(CN) — A tsunami advisory was issued for the West Coast of the U.S. Tuesday evening, following an 8.8 magnitude earthquake near Russia, which also prompted tsunami warnings for Hawaii and parts of Alaska.

Tsunami sirens blared in Honolulu Tuesday afternoon as people there were encouraged to move to higher ground. Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency said the first wave could arrive at 7:10 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time and that urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property.

“I have signed an emergency proclamation, and both the State and County Emergency Operations Centers are fully activated. Please take this situation seriously,” Hawaii Governor Josh Green said on X.

In a press conference shortly after he posted his message on X, Green said coastal zones must evacuate right away.

“You need to expect that there will be flooding on all of the islands, and it will be imminent after the wave hits. We should be safe and therefore not sorry,” Green said.

The earthquake was recorded about 74 miles away from the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in the Kamchatka Peninsula at 4:24 PT. It was reported to be the strongest earthquake in the world since the March 2011 magnitude 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Japan, which caused the tsunami that set off meltdowns at a nuclear power plant in Fukushima.

Green noted in his press conference the same March 2011 earthquake created a 7-foot wave that hit Maui, causing $7.5 million in damage.

“Because we were thoughtful and smart and calm — and we should all be calm as we evacuate, and we must evacuate from the inundation area — there were no casualties,” he said.

A tsunami is a series of long ocean waves, which can last 5 to 15 minutes or more and seriously flood coastal areas.

“The danger can continue for many hours after the initial wave as subsequent waves arrive,” the National Weather Service said when issuing its warning for Hawaii. “Tsunami wave heights cannot be predicted and the first wave may not be the largest. Tsunami waves efficiently wrap around islands. All shores are at risk no matter which direction they face.”

While a warning is the highest alert level for a tsunami, an advisory, like what was issued for coastal California and parts of Oregon and Washington state, is the next highest alert.

The National Weather Service warned that strong currents and waves were expected to hit coastal areas of California, starting around 11:50 p.m. Pacific Time and lasting for 10 to 36 hours. The agency urged people to move off beaches and out of harbors and marinas, and advised mariners to get to a depth of 30 fathoms. Advisories were also issued for coastal areas of Oregon and Washington state’s outer coast, the Columbia River estuary coast and the Juan de Fuca Strait Coast.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami as high as 1.3 feet was detected in 16 locations as waves moved south from Hokkaido to just northeast of Tokyo.

A tsunami also hit coastal areas of Russia’s Kuril Islands.

This is a developing story and will be updated…