Tsunami alerts for Pacific, including U.S. West Coast and Hawaii, after Russia quake

UPDATE: A tsunami warning has been issued for the area between Cape Mendocino, California, and the Oregon state line.

A powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Russia on Tuesday evening, prompting tsunami warnings and advisories across the Pacific Ocean, including in the U.S. West Coast.

The earthquake occurred at 7:24 p.m. ET and was centered off the coast of Kamchatka Krai in far eastern Russia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). It struck at a depth of 12 miles (19 kilometers).

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) issued a tsunami warning for Hawaii, Russia, Japan, Chile and Ecuador, warning that “widespread hazardous tsunami waves are possible” based on earthquake parameters.

The tsunami flooded parts of Severo-Kurilsk in Russia’s Kuril Islands. Footage shared by residents showed seawater inundating buildings near the coastline.

Tsunami advisories have been issued for the U.S. West Coast, including Washington, Oregon, California, south Alaska, and the Alaska Peninsula, as well as for British Columbia in Canada. A tsunami advisory means that strong currents and dangerous waves are expected along coastlines, but widespread inundation is not anticipated.

The tsunami threat now extends across much of the Pacific. Areas from Taiwan to New Zealand and from Mexico to Peru may see waves between 1 and 3 feet (30 cm to 1 meter).

The earthquake has reportedly caused significant damage to some buildings and homes in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a Russian city near the epicenter. Several injuries have also been reported.

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