(KTLA) An 8.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Eastern Russia has prompted a tsunami watch for coastal areas of the western United States.
The quake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, struck at 4:25 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time at a depth of around 11 miles 80 miles southeast of Petropavlovsk Kamchatka.
The National Tsunami Warning Center, based in Alaska, issued a tsunami warning for parts of the Alaska Aleutian Islands, and a watch for portions of the West Coast, including California, Oregon, and Washington, and Hawaii.
The advisory also includes a vast swath of Alaska’s coast line, including parts of the panhandle.
“Tsunami watches are an advance notice to areas that could be impacted by a tsunami at a later time,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Watch areas may be upgraded to a warning or advisory status, or canceled, based on new information.”
A tsunami warning also was extended to the U.S. state of Hawaii, with the National Weather Service’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center saying a tsunami from the quake had been generated that could cause damage along the coastlines of all the Hawaiian islands.
“Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property,” the warning stated. The first waves were expected around 7 p.m. local time.
Traffic was backed up in some neighborhoods in Honolulu, and officials were preparing to open a mountain pass as an evacuation route out of Waianae, a coastal community on the island of Oahu, said sate Rep. Darius Kila. Even though it’s summer break, some schools issued alerts canceling sports and other activities.
Residents in coastal areas under a tsunami watch or warning are urged to stay alert for additional updates and be aware of estimated tsunami start times.
These watches and warnings will remain in effect until further notice.
A tsunami has already hit coastal areas of Russia’s Kuril Islands and Japan’s large northern island of Hokkaido following the quake.
This developing story will be updated when additional information is made available.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
