Breaking: Powerful 7.5 Earthquake Sparks Global Tsunami Warnings—Live Updates & Safety Tips

A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck at 03:17 UTC off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula today has triggered tsunami warnings and watches for Russia, Japan, Hawaii, Alaska, California, and dozens of Pacific islands, prompting coastal evacuations and urgent safety alerts from civil-defense agencies worldwide. Seismic event and tsunami projections • Epicenter: 48 km southeast of Ust-Kamchatsk, depth 28 km, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. • Initial wave: Russian authorities reported a 2.3 m (7.5 ft) surge inundating parts of the Kuril Islands within 20 minutes of the quake, forcing residents to higher ground. • Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) models show hazardous waves of 0.3-1 m possible along Hawaii’s coastline from 13:30 UTC, with localized run-ups potentially exceeding 3 m in bays and harbors. • Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued a major tsunami warning for Hokkaido and northern Honshu; trains on the Hokkaido Shinkansen and several coastal highways have been suspended. • The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center placed Alaska’s Aleutian chain under a warning and the West Coast from Washington to California under an advisory, urging beachgoers to “move off the sand and out of marinas.” Early impacts and evacuations Local Russian officials declared a state of emergency after seawater flooded low-lying villages on the eastern Kamchatka coast; no fatalities were immediately reported, but regional hospitals treated more than 60 people for injuries caused by falling debris. In Japan, at least 120,000 residents in Aomori and Iwate prefectures received evacuation orders, while Hawaii’s Civil Defense opened shelters on all islands as sirens sounded before dawn. Airlines including Japan Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Alaska Airlines pre-emptively diverted or canceled flights into Pacific gateways. Ports from Vladivostok to Long Beach halted container operations; the U.S. Coast Guard barred entry to small craft until the all-clear. Why this quake matters Today’s temblor ranks as the world’s sixth-strongest since modern instrumentation began and released roughly 30 times more energy than the 2011 Tōhoku quake. Subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Okhotsk microplate at the Kuril-Kamchatka trench makes this region one of Earth’s most prolific tsunami generators, capable of sending waves across the entire Pacific Basin in less than a day. Safety guidance for coastal residents 1. Stay off beaches, breakwaters, and piers until local authorities declare the threat over. 2. If you feel ground shaking or hear sirens, move inland or to elevations of at least 30 m (100 ft). Do not wait for an official notice. 3. Keep battery radios and mobile alerts on; power outages and high call volumes have already disrupted cell service in parts of Alaska and Japan. 4. Boat owners should leave harbor for deep water only if time permits; otherwise, secure lines and evacuate. 5. After the first wave, remain away for at least six hours—tsunamis arrive in multiple surges, and the second or third can be larger. Looking ahead The PTWC will issue updated wave-arrival forecasts every 15 minutes; officials say a complete threat assessment may take up to eight hours as deep-ocean buoys relay real-time data. Geophysicists are watching for significant aftershocks, which could further complicate rescue and recovery. With memories of the 2004 Indian Ocean and 2011 Japan disasters still vivid, emergency managers emphasize that “tsunami warning” is not just a headline—coastal preparedness and rapid evacuation save lives. Residents anywhere along the Pacific Rim should monitor official channels continuously until agencies declare the alert ended. This story will be updated as new information becomes available from meteorological, geological, and civil-defense authorities.