Earthquake off Russia prompts tsunami warnings for Hawaii, Japan and parts of Pacific Coast

A powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, prompting Japan’s meteorological agency to issue a tsunami alert and the National Weather Service to issue a tsunami warning for Hawaii and parts of Alaska on Wednesday.

The first tsunami wave hit the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk, the main settlement on Russia’s Kuril Islands in the Pacific, according to the local governor Valery Limarenko. He said residents were safe and staying on high ground until the threat of a repeat wave was gone.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves of 1 to 3 meters, or about 3 to 10 feet, above tide level were possible along some coastal areas of Hawaii, Chile, Japan and the Solomon Islands. Waves of more than 3 meters were possible along some coastal areas of Russia and Ecuador.

Tsunami warning sirens blared Tuesday in Honolulu and people moved to higher ground.