Map showing arears under tsunami warning
Moscow, Russia – Tsunami waves have struck parts of Russia, the United States, and Japan after a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake occurred off Russia’s eastern coast, prompting widespread alerts and emergency evacuations across the Pacific Rim.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake struck early Tuesday in the Sea of Okhotsk, near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, at a depth of approximately 30 kilometers. The quake triggered a series of tsunami warnings across the Pacific, as authorities in multiple nations scrambled to respond.
The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations confirmed that waves up to 2.5 meters high hit coastal areas in Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands. Coastal residents were evacuated to higher ground amid fears of aftershocks and secondary surges.
In Japan, tsunami waves of up to 1 meter were reported along parts of the northern coastline, prompting bullet train suspensions and temporary shutdowns of nuclear power facilities as a precaution. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued advisories for several prefectures but has since downgraded the alert as the risk of major flooding subsides.
On the U.S. West Coast, particularly in Alaska and parts of Northern California, tsunami waves measuring less than a meter were recorded. Authorities activated tsunami warning systems and urged residents in low-lying coastal areas to remain alert. No injuries or major damage have been reported in the U.S. so far.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that while the strongest impacts were felt in areas closest to the quake’s epicenter, the size of the earthquake had the potential to generate ocean-wide tsunami activity.
Emergency response teams are assessing the extent of damage across affected regions. Meanwhile, geologists are closely monitoring the situation for aftershocks, which are common after quakes of this magnitude.
This is one of the strongest earthquakes recorded in the region in recent years, evoking memories of the devastating 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, which killed thousands and triggered a nuclear disaster in Fukushima.
Source – My News Ghana
About the Author
