A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on July 30, 2025, at 8:25 am Japan time, unleashing a tsunami that hit Russia’s Kuril Islands and Japan’s Hokkaido, with warnings extending to Alaska, Hawaii, and New Zealand.

The US Geological Survey, revising initial 8.0 estimates, confirmed the quake’s epicenter 119 km east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at a shallow 19.3 km depth, making it the strongest since Japan’s 9.0-magnitude quake in 2011. Tsunami waves up to 4 meters struck Kamchatka, flooding Severo-Kurilsk’s port, while Hokkaido reported 50 cm waves, with Japan’s Meteorological Agency warning of potential 3-meter surges.

Japan issued evacuation advisories for 900,000 residents across 133 municipalities from Hokkaido to Okinawa, suspending ferries, trains, and Sendai airport operations. No major injuries or damage were reported in Japan, but Russian authorities noted minor injuries and a damaged kindergarten in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, scarred by 2011’s disaster, halted wastewater release and evacuated 4,000 workers, reporting no abnormalities. New Zealand warned of “strong currents,” while Oregon anticipated 1-2 foot waves, urging coastal residents to avoid beaches.

Russian scientists labeled the quake a “unique event,” the strongest in Kamchatka since 1952, with aftershocks up to 6.9 magnitude possible for a month. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center flagged “hazardous waves” for Russia, Japan, Hawaii, and beyond, with Hawaii expecting waves from 7:17 pm local time.

President Donald Trump urged residents to “STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE” via social media. The region’s Pacific Ring of Fire location amplifies seismic risks, with ongoing evacuations and monitoring to mitigate further impacts.

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