ATLANTA — A tsunami has hit coastal areas of Russia’s Kuril Islands and Japan’s large northern island of Hokkaido after a powerful, 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia early Wednesday.
Warnings are also in place for Alaska, Hawaii, and other coasts south toward New Zealand.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami as high as 40 centimeters (1.3 feet) had been detected in 16 locations as the waves moved south along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to just northeast of Tokyo.
Officials urged caution, saying that bigger waves could come later.
Damage and evacuations were reported in the Russian regions nearest the quake’s epicenter on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
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What to know:
- Hawaii under evacuation: Sirens blared in Honolulu as residents were urged to higher ground. “Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property,” the warning stated. The first waves in Hawaii were expected around 7 p.m. local time.
- Other tsunami warnings: The National Tsunami Warning Center, based in Alaska, issued a tsunami advisory for parts of California, Oregon and Washington. A tsunami advisory has also been issued for much of the coast of Canada’s Pacific Coast province of British Columbia.
- The earthquake: The quake, which struck at 8:25 a.m. Japan time, had a preliminary magnitude of 8.0, Japan and U.S. seismologists said. The U.S. Geological Survey later updated its measurement to 8.8 magnitude. The quake was centered about 119 kilometers (74 miles) east-southeast from the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Multiple aftershocks as strong as 6.9 magnitude were recorded.
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Honolulu won’t operate bus trips scheduled to start after 6 p.m. local time. Drivers still on routes after that and who are in inundation zones will head to higher ground.
“We want everyone to stay safe,” said Honolulu Fire Department Chief Sheldon Hao. ”Evacuate early so you don’t put yourself in a tough situation.”
There were long lines at gas stations in an inland neighborhood near downtown Honolulu, with standstill traffic even in areas away from the shoreline.
One Texaco gas station closed early so that workers could go home. The workers set out cones at pumps and turned away motorists.
Jimmy Markowski, on a family vacation from Hot Springs, Arkansas, ended up at the closed Texaco station after fleeing their Waikiki beach resort in a caravan of three cars carrying 15 people.
“All we’re trying to do is just figure out what we’re going to do for the next 3 or 4 hours,” he said. “We’ve got water, we got some snacks ... we’re going to stay elevated. This is our first tsunami warning ever. So this is all new to us.”
Honolulu resident Kale Aʻi stopped at the station after spending more n an hour on what would normally be a 12-minute drive from his home near the coast. He was trying to get to his grandfather’s house further inland.
“I’ve always tried to be a little bit more cautious because it’s better to be safe than sorry,” he said.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said data from Midway Atoll, which is part of the way between Japan and Hawaii, measured tsunami waves from peak to trough of 6 feet (1.8 meters).
He said waves hitting Hawaii could be bigger or smaller and it was too early to tell how large they would be. A tsunami of that size would be akin to a three foot (90 centimeter) wave riding on top of surf, he said.
“This is a longitudinal wave with great force driving through the shoreline and into land,” he said at a news conference.
Green said Black Hawk helicopters have been activated and high-water vehicles were ready to go in case authorities need to rescue people.
“But please do not put yourself in harm’s way,” he said.