Evacuations Across Pacific as Huge Quake Off Russia Sparks Tsunami Panic

Panic swept across the Pacific Wednesday morning after a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s far eastern coast set off tsunami alarms in more than a dozen countries.

The quake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula, one of the most seismically active regions in the world, sending waves as high as four metres crashing into Russia’s eastern shorelines.

Authorities in the region confirmed several injuries, and warned that strong aftershocks could follow.

In Japan, television networks interrupted programming with urgent warnings as sirens blared in parts of Hokkaido, where waves of up to 30 centimetres were recorded.

While small, authorities urged caution, recalling the devastating 2011 tsunami that killed over 18,000 people and triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

“We are not taking any chances,” said a Hokkaido disaster official on national broadcaster NHK.

“People must move to higher ground until we give the all-clear.”

Across the Pacific in Hawaii, Governor Josh Green issued a public appeal for calm but urged residents in low-lying areas to evacuate.

Sirens wailed across Honolulu before dawn as emergency services braced for possible impact.

“This is a serious threat,” Green said. “Please move inland. Don’t wait for confirmation of waves—act now.”

On the US mainland, alerts went out to coastal communities from California to Alaska.

Local authorities closed beaches, halted ferries, and urged residents to keep tuned to emergency broadcasts.

US President Donald Trump, speaking from a campaign stop in Nevada, warned that Americans along the West Coast should “take this tsunami threat very seriously.”

The earthquake struck just after 4am local time near the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench, a notorious subduction zone where the Pacific Plate grinds beneath the Okhotsk Plate.

Seismologists say the quake was shallow, making it more likely to trigger large waves.

Dr. Paul Withers of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said initial models suggested the energy would radiate far across the ocean.

“This was a major rupture, and we’ve seen wave activity already in multiple locations. More waves are possible depending on local geography.”

Tsunami warnings of varying severity were issued across China’s eastern coast, the Philippines, Indonesia, Guam, and as far away as Peru and Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands.

While many of these alerts are precautionary, the sheer reach of the warnings shows how powerful the quake was.

In the Philippines, where tsunami fears run deep after past disasters, officials ordered evacuations in parts of Mindanao and Samar.

Indonesian authorities followed suit, clearing parts of eastern Sulawesi and the Maluku islands.

In Russia, footage showed cars stuck in traffic jams as people tried to flee coastal towns.

Emergency workers were seen moving patients out of hospitals in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

The TASS news agency reported that several people were injured, mostly due to falling debris during the quake.

For many, the event stirred traumatic memories.

“When we heard about the epicentre being near Kamchatka, we knew it could hit Japan,” said Mieko Tanaka, a resident of Kushiro in Hokkaido. “We remembered 2011. No one hesitated—we ran.”

Although Tuesday’s tsunami did not match the horror of past catastrophes, experts say the region’s readiness was crucial in preventing loss of life.

Still, officials warned that further waves could arrive in the coming hours, and that people should remain alert.

“This isn’t over,” said Dr. Mariko Fujita, a geologist in Tokyo. “Sometimes the first wave is the smallest. The danger remains until the warnings are lifted.”

As day broke across the Pacific, thousands remained on the move, sheltering in schools, sports halls, and hilltops—unwilling to take risks against the ocean’s unpredictable fury.

Governments have promised swift updates as data comes in from tide gauges and satellite models.

For now, officials across the region are united in one message: stay away from the water, and wait.