In the early hours of the morning in Los Angeles, tsunami waves generated by the massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula have reached California’s shores, the US National Weather Service confirmed. The waves were first detected at Arena Cove and Monterey in northern California and are moving further south along the US West Coast.
Earlier in the day at Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles County, 25-year-old George Mejia and his cousins were packing up their longboards when news of the earthquake and tsunami threat reached them. “My mom called and said, ‘Did you see there was a huge earthquake and maybe a tsunami?’ I was like, ‘No, I’ve been in the water!’” Mejia said. Instead of leaving immediately, the group sat in their car, eyeing the ocean and debating whether to go back in and surf the potential waves.
Nearby, Heath Macleod, his wife, and their two young daughters were wrapping up their beach day when asked about the tsunami risk. Their youngest daughter burst into tears, prompting Macleod to say, “I guess we better tail it out of here.”
Blue tsunami evacuation route signs are visible along many roads on the US West Coast, guiding residents to safety in the event of an emergency. Authorities continue to urge caution despite expectations that the waves may be minimal.
Evacuations in Indonesia: Tsunami Waves Reach California Coast After Kamchatka Quake
In Indonesia, the Jayapura City Disaster Management Agency has appealed to coastal residents to move to higher ground in response to the tsunami threat. Residents and tourists in the capital of Papua province have been told to stay away from coastal areas, and fishermen have been advised not to venture out to sea.
A local journalist reported seeing several people from the city’s coastal areas heading inland. The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency had earlier issued a tsunami early warning for parts of eastern Indonesia, including North Sulawesi, North Maluku, West Papua, and Gorontalo. Authorities have urged residents to stay calm and avoid shorelines until further notice.
Massive earthquake in Russia triggers tsunami alerts
Earlier, A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, the strongest in the region since 1952. The quake damaged buildings, injured several people, and triggered a tsunami with waves up to 4 metres (13 ft), prompting widespread evacuations and tsunami warnings across the Pacific.
The earthquake struck at 8:24 am local time (4 am PKT) near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 165,000, at a shallow depth of 19.3 km, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). It ranks among the 10 largest quakes ever recorded.
Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov described the event as “the strongest in decades,” urging residents to remain alert. Regional emergency officials confirmed a 3–4 metre tsunami hit parts of Kamchatka, flooding the port town of Severo-Kurilsk and damaging a fish processing plant. Authorities evacuated all residents in time, averting casualties.
Several people sustained injuries while fleeing buildings, including one individual who jumped from a window, officials said. A kindergarten and the region’s new airport terminal were among the structures damaged. Fortunately, no fatalities have been reported, and all injured are in stable condition.
The Sakhalin region’s authorities declared a state of emergency in the northern Kuril Islands. Thirty aftershocks—some as strong as magnitude 7.5—were recorded following the main tremor.
Tsunami alerts across Japan and the Pacific
Japan’s weather agency issued tsunami warnings for its eastern coast, predicting waves up to 3 metres (10 ft). Evacuations were ordered in coastal towns, and images from NHK showed residents seeking shelter on rooftops in Hokkaido. Authorities reported no damage or irregularities at nuclear plants, including the Fukushima facility.
