13-Foot Waves Hit Russia After Massive 8.8 Earthquake

An 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit off the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia on Wednesday, creating enormous waves up to 13 feet and causing tsunami alerts in a wide swath of the Pacific. According to the US Geological Survey, the quake struck at a shallow depth of 12 miles (19.3 kilometres), with its epicentre located about 80 miles southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

In Kamchatka, a lot of damage was reported with the tsunami waves hitting the coastlines. The emergency minister of the region, Sergei Lebedev, reported a number of casualties, among them a person who leaped out of a window in a panic and another victim inside a newly constructed airport terminal. Regional health officials said there were no life-threatening injuries despite the chaos.

Governor Vladimir Solodov referred to it as the most powerful earthquake in decades to have struck the area. One of the damaged buildings was a local kindergarten.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) quickly issued alerts for Russia, Japan, Alaska, Hawaii, and other Pacific regions. Ecuador too was alerted of possible 3-meter waves. In Hawaii, beaches and low-lying areas were evacuated using sirens. The National Tsunami Warning Centre also gave warnings about the Aleutian Islands and tsunami watches to the Pacific Coast of the USA, including California and Oregon.

Japan acted quickly and evacuated more than 900,000 inhabitants in 133 municipalities along the east coast of Japan. Authorities warned of potential waves up to 9.8 feet (3 meters), though initial wave heights measured around 16 inches. Authorities warned of the need to remain vigilant since subsequent waves of the tsunami may be more massive than the initial one.

“Please evacuate immediately,” one of the broadcasters on NHK told the viewers as the scenes were captured showing residents rushing to safety on higher ground. Japan is especially sensitive to such occurrences following the devastating 2011 tsunami and the Fukushima disaster. To be on the safe side, workers in Fukushima plants were evacuated temporarily with no reports of any problems.

The earthquake on Wednesday is part of a series of tremors in the region around Kamchatka, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Scientists caution that even distant offshore shallow quakes have the potential to cause a destructive tsunami, a situation that necessitates the need to be prepared in areas prone to earthquakes.