A powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the eastern coast of Russia generated a tsunami that reached Hawaii and parts of the U.S. West Coast on Tuesday, prompting widespread evacuations and emergency measures across the Pacific region.

The earthquake occurred just offshore from Petropavlovsk, Russia, and set off tsunami warnings and advisories throughout the Pacific basin.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a quake of this magnitude ties for the sixth strongest ever recorded.

In Hawaii, tsunami waves were measured at multiple locations.

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Haleiwa and Kahului recorded 4-foot wave amplitudes, while Hanalei experienced a 3-foot amplitude. Kahului later reported a wave amplitude of 5.7 feet, and Hilo saw a 4.9-foot amplitude.

"Everything's been okay so far," Hawaii Governor Josh Green said during a press conference after the first waves arrived.

"We haven't seen a big wave."

Despite the calm appearance of initial waves, Green issued a warning about the ongoing threat, emphasizing the severity of the situation.

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"We do expect damage. We expect significant damage along the coastlines," Green said.

"If you stay on the beaches, you could risk death."

The tsunami reached Hawaii around 7:10 p.m. local time (1:10 a.m. ET), approximately six hours after the earthquake.

Sirens across the islands sounded regularly Tuesday afternoon and evening to warn residents, with a final alert at 6:40 p.m. HST, 30 minutes before expected wave arrival.

Green instructed residents in evacuation zones to move to at least the fourth floor of any building or evacuate to higher ground if that was not an option.

"It is, again, not just a 3-foot wave," Green stated.

"It is a forceful wall of water."

Highways were jammed as residents and tourists attempted to flee coastal zones.

🚨 BREAKING: Oprah HAS NOT opened her private road from Wailea to Kula, Hawaii, which would allow coastal folks to reach higher ground quickly, locals tell meOPEN THE ROAD, @OPRAH!Roads on Maui are GRIDLOCKED as people try to escape the incoming Tsunami“I'm stuck with my… pic.twitter.com/UaPiDJpjqG

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 30, 2025

On Kauai, officials asked people to avoid Hanalei to aid evacuation efforts.

On Maui, vehicles and emergency equipment were staged on state highways.

Operations at Hilo Airport were suspended to allow evacuation from the Keaukaha region, the Hawaii Department of Transportation reported.

The Coast Guard ordered all commercial vessels to leave ports and head to sea, and all harbors were closed to incoming traffic.

Approximately 200 travelers were sheltering at Kahului Airport after all flights were canceled.

Flights en route to Hawaii were diverted back to Los Angeles, according to FlightAware data analyzed by the FOX Forecast Center.

Jenny Welch, a tourist visiting Wailea from California, said her family received warning texts from friends on the mainland before local alerts reached them.

“We had not heard anything about it,” Welch said.

“Then about five minutes after that, our phone, the phone alarm started going off, and then the sirens started going off once we were in closer to Wailea.”

LISTEN 📢🚨: Sirens blaring in Wailea Beach, Maui amid ongoing tsunami threat for Hawaii. Entire West Coast of U.S. on alert. Stay with FOX Weather for live coverage #weather #tsunami #alert

Video credit: Jenny Welch pic.twitter.com/7v3LrG4l6q— FOX Weather (@foxweather) July 30, 2025

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said, "A tsunami has been generated that could cause damage along coastlines of all islands in the state of Hawaii. Urgent action could be taken to protect lives and property."

While Tsunami Warnings in Hawaii were later downgraded to advisories, warnings remain in effect for parts of Northern California.

The PTWC estimates wave heights could reach between 2.6 and 4.8 feet in Crescent City and up to 3.7 feet in Port San Luis.

The National Weather Service in Eureka stated, "A tsunami with significant widespread inundation is expected, with possible and dangerous coastal flooding accompanied by powerful currents."

The warning area extends from Cape Mendocino to the Oregon-California border.

Areas outside the warning zone along the California coast are expected to experience minimal wave activity under one foot.

The PTWC added that tsunami waves would begin arriving along the Washington and Oregon coasts at approximately 11:40 p.m. PT, around San Francisco at 12:40 a.m. PT, and near Los Angeles around 1:05 a.m. PT.

The advisory includes inland waters such as San Francisco Bay, the Columbia River coast, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca between Washington and Vancouver Island.

In Washington, waves up to 1.4 feet are expected near Moclips, while elsewhere along the state’s coast and British Columbia, waves are forecasted to stay under one foot.

In Oregon, waves of up to 2 feet are possible in Brookings and Port Orford.

Japan has also been impacted, with tsunami warnings issued for the eastern Pacific coasts of Hokkaido, Tohoku, the Kanto region, and surrounding island chains.

The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo posted on X, "Tsunami waves may arrive imminently—evacuate immediately to higher ground."

Japan’s Meteorological Agency confirmed tsunami waves of approximately 0.3 to 0.4 meters (1 to 1.3 feet) had already reached shorelines, with forecasts indicating the potential for waves up to 3 meters (9 feet) in some locations.

As of early Wednesday morning, tsunami waves had also been recorded along the coasts of Russia, Japan, and Alaska through 1:30 a.m. ET, as emergency officials continued monitoring conditions across the Pacific.

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