Here’s the latest on the massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula—ranking as the sixth most powerful earthquake ever recorded—and the resulting tsunami alerts and impacts across the Pacific:

1. A Historic Magnitude 8.8 Earthquake

On July 29, 2025, an 8.8‑magnitude megathrust earthquake struck about 80 miles southeast of Petropavlovsk‑Kamchatsky, at a depth of around 19–20 km. This seismic event is now tied as the sixth‑strongest earthquake ever recorded in modern seismology  .

2. Tsunami Already Struck Russia and Japan

In Severo‑Kurilsk, located on the Kuril Islands, 3–4 meter tsunami waves inundated coastal areas, injuring several residents and damaging infrastructure  .

In northern Japan (Hokkaido and regions south through Wakayama), smaller waves—up to 40 cm (about 1.3 feet)—have been observed, though authorities warned of potentially larger waves to come  . The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant was evacuated as a precaution, though no immediate structural damage has been reported  .

3. Tsunami Alerts and Forecasted Wave Heights

Across the Pacific, tsunami warnings and watches are active:

Hawaii: sirens activated, coastal evacuations ordered—residents urged to move at least 4,000 feet inland due to the threat of “wraparound” waves  .

Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, British Columbia, and U.S. West Coast (California, Oregon, Washington): Hawaii-style alerts issued—some areas forecast 2–5 foot (≈0.6–1.5 m) wave activity along northern California coast  .

Pacific islands and territories: alerts extended to Guam, Micronesia, New Zealand, Philippines, Taiwan, Ecuador, and others, with wave predictions generally in the 0.5–1 meter range, though local variations could lead to stronger surges  .

4. Ongoing Risks, Aftershocks & Regional Preparedness

Officials warn of aftershocks potentially reaching magnitude 7.5, which could generate additional tsunami waves or intensify coastal shaking  .

Japan tightly evacuated over 900,000 residents from coastal areas, echoing the evacuation scenarios seen in 2011, and urged caution against returning until multiple waves are confirmed to have passed  .

In the U.S., California emergency officials transitioned from tsunami watch to advisory for much of the coast, but issued windborne evacuation alerts in regions like Monterey Bay, where currents and wave surges pose serious hazards even when wave heights remain modest (~1 foot elsewhere)  .

5. Forecast: Where Waves Are Likely and How Big They May Get\