() Hawaii, Alaska and the West Coast are bracing for more strong waves after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Russia on Tuesday afternoon.
The quake was one of the strongest ever recorded, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Several aftershocks were also recorded, inundating Japan with tsunami waves and prompting evacuations and warnings across the Pacific.
Guam saw waves up to a foot high, per the Guam Office of Civil Defense, and the National Weather Service said the first waves hit Washington state around 1 a.m.
While the tsunami waves remain a threat to coastal areas, leaders in California and Hawaii eased back their warnings early Wednesday.
California’s coast remains under tsunami advisory
The tsunami reached the shores of northern California by 1 a.m. local time, the National Weather Service reported. As it continues southward on Wednesday, Los Angeles is expecting a wave surge of less than one foot.
Originally a “Tsunami Watch,” California’s alert was upgraded to a “Tsunami Advisory” just after 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Los Angeles affiliate KTLA reported.
Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, along with the entire West Coast, remain under the advisory.
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Residents and visitors found themselves backed up in traffic as they try to leave the the Ala Way Harbor, Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii on July 29, 2025, after an 8.8 earthquake off of Russia’s far east prompted tsunami alerts. (Photo by Eugene Tanner /GETTY-AFP) -
A Los Angeles police department helicopter flies over Santa Monica beach, California, amid a tsunami warning on July 29, 2025. (Photo by Apu GOMES / GETTY-AFP) -
Masashi Kiyomoto, an expert on earthquake and tsunami countermeasures from the Japan Meteorological Agency, holds a news conference in Tokyo on July 30, 2025. (Photo by JIJI Press / GETTY-AFP)
The NWS forecasts the largest waves north of Los Angeles.
“We are carefully monitoring the situation for ports and harbors north of Point Conception as tsunami waves will likely be larger in that area,” the NWS said in a post on X. “Go away from the coast, or if in a boat, go out to deep water!”
No evacuation orders were issued for Southern California coastal communities, though the tsunami advisory remained in effect until further notice.
Hawaii cancels evacuation order
The Hawaiian Islands have made it “past the worst” in the aftermath of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake, said Chip McCreery, director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
Despite waves nearing six feet in height, “no major damage” has been seen, the state’s joint information center said Wednesday.
Within hours of a tsunami warning issued Tuesday, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency downgraded the threat level.
“Unusually strong currents and waves still possible close to the shore and in harbors,” Civil Defense Hawaii wrote on X. “Officials are assessing damage but have NOT reopened coastal evacuation areas. Stay clear of these areas.”
Officials in Hawaii said residents who had evacuated could return to their homes, but warned them to keep an eye out for damage.
Russia declares state of emergency after 8.8 magnitude earthquake
Russian authorities declared a state of emergency on the Kuril Islands and in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the main city on the Kamchatka peninsula.
They earlier reported that several tsunami waves flooded the fishing port of Severo-Kurilsk, the main city on the islands, and cut power supplies to the area. Russia’s Oceanography Institute said tsunami waves that hit the city topped 19 feet.
The 8.8 magnitude quake was among the four strongest earthquakes this century, and among the eight strongest since 1900, according to the USGS.
The earthquake occurred along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the ring of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes occur.
affiliates KTLA, KHON and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
