Pacific Tsunami Warning Issued After 8.0+ Quake Off Russia Coast: USGS

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A potent magnitude 8.6 earthquake hit off Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, triggering tsunami alerts, evacuations, and some structural damage, officials reported.

Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov described the quake as the most intense in decades, stating in a Telegram video that although no injuries had been reported so far, a kindergarten had sustained damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey noted that the quake was shallow, with a depth of 19.3 km (12 miles), centered roughly 125 km (80 miles) east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of about 165,000 residents along Avacha Bay. The quake’s magnitude was upgraded from earlier estimates of 8.0.

Following the event, authorities ordered the evacuation of Severo-Kurilsk, a small town south of the peninsula, due to tsunami risks, according to Sakhalin Governor Valery Limarenko on Telegram.

Russia’s Ministry for Emergency Services in Kamchatka warned via Telegram that a tsunami wave up to 32 cm (about 1 foot) could arrive along the coast.

Japanese meteorologists predicted a tsunami reaching up to 1 meter (3.3 feet) could impact large coastal areas starting at approximately 1 a.m. GMT.

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued alerts for hazardous waves within three hours along some Russian and Japanese coastlines. Additionally, a tsunami watch was active for Guam and other islands in Micronesia.

Kamchatka and the Russian Far East are located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active zone prone to significant earthquakes and volcanic activity.