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People across the Pacific were suddenly forced into action after a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday. Residents scrambled to evacuate as tsunami alerts rippled from Japan to South America, causing waves to crash into ports, beaches to close, and chaos to erupt as millions of people hurried to higher ground.
The quake, one of the strongest ever recorded, produced waves reaching heights of up to four meters (about 12 feet). Despite the massive tremor, early reports indicated only minor damage and few injuries, though it was the most intense since the 2011 disaster in Japan that claimed 15,000 lives.
Tsunami warnings were issued for over a dozen countries, placing millions on high alert. In Russia, a tsunami inundated Severo-Kurilsk’s port, submerging the local fishing facility. Footage from Russian state television showed buildings and debris swept out to sea, with the surge reaching nearly 400 meters from the shoreline at the town’s World War II monument, according to Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov.
Japan advised nearly two million residents in affected areas to move to higher ground, and the Fukushima nuclear plant, devastated by the 2011 quake and tsunami, was evacuated again. Tragically, reports say one woman died as she drove her car off a cliff while trying to escape.
Along South America’s Pacific coast, warnings remained in effect, with the Galapagos Islands shutting down parks, closing schools, and evacuating tourists from boats to land safety. Isabela Island’s residents were transported onto higher ground by buses and trucks amid widespread fear and uncertainty.
The Ecuadorian navy reported maximum wave heights of approximately 1.3 meters, and disturbances are expected to persist for several hours. Peru temporarily closed 65 of its 121 Pacific ports, warning fishing activities to halt and people to stay away from the coast.
In Hawaii, tsunami sirens blared near Waikiki Beach, and traffic was gridlocked as residents fled to higher areas. Governor Josh Green announced cancellations of flights in and out of Maui as a safety measure. President Donald Trump urged Americans to “Stay strong and stay safe” via social media. Eventually, the alert was downgraded from a tsunami warning to an advisory, and local evacuations were canceled.
Meanwhile, Russian scientists reported the eruption of the Klyuchevskoy volcano shortly after the quake, with glowing lava flows and explosive activity observed on its western slope. The seismic monitoring service confirmed that the Kamchatka earthquake was the strongest in the region since 1952, with aftershocks continuing with magnitudes up to 7.5.
The U.S. Geological Survey ranked this event among the ten largest tremors ever recorded, with at least six aftershocks following, including one of magnitude 6.9. In Taiwan’s Taitung area, hotel staff advised guests to stay indoors and avoid coastal areas.
The island nation of Palau, about 500 miles east of the Philippines, ordered evacuations of all coastal zones. French Polynesia’s Marquesas Islands anticipated waves of up to four meters overnight, prompting official warnings to residents.
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