Massive Earthquake strikes Kamchatka coast
Estimated magnitude 8.7 at depth ~24km
Just when I thought this swarm area had calmed down, bang! An 8.7 magnitude strikes. This is largest quake I’ve seen for a long time.
This could be a severe tsunami hazard so I would not wait around to be told about it, head for high ground. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky looks at risk because the quake occured in the deep water off the coast that will rise up when it reaches the shallows. It’s very likely there will be structural damage along the coast even if there isn’t a tsunami.
FACTBOX: What is known about earthquakes in Kamchatka
Its magnitude reached 8.7 - this is the strongest earthquake since 1952 occurred in the Kamchatka region
PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, July 30. /TASS/. The strongest earthquake since 1952 occurred in the Kamchatka region in Russia’s Far East. According to various estimates, its magnitude reached 8.7. A tsunami wave hit the coastal zone of the city of Severo-Kurilsk, the government of the Sakhalin Region told TASS.
TASS has collected the main information about the emergency.
The earthquakes
- Seismologists recorded a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 150 kilometers from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on Wednesday, July 30, around noon local time (around 03:00 Moscow time, 00:00 GMT).
- Later, the Kamchatka branch of the Unified Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences reported that the magnitude, according to various estimates, reached 8.7.
- The earthquake that hit Kamchatka was felt at the force of between 7 and 8 points.
- The shock epicenter was located 149 kilometers southeast of the regional capital at a depth of 17 kilometers.
- Seismologists recorded strong repeated earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1-5.8 to the southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, in the regional capital, tremors were felt with a force of 3 points.
- A tsunami threat was declared on the coast of Avacha Bay.
- A tsunami with a wave height of 3-4 meters was recorded in the Yelizovsky district of Kamchatka, near the Vodopadnaya weather station.
- The first wave of the tsunami hit the coastal part of the city of Severo-Kurilsk on the island, residents were evacuated to the hill.
- In total eight earthquakes with a magnitude of over 5 occurred off the coast of Kamchatka in an hour. The tremors occurred at depths of 7 to 100 kilometers.
- Experts predict aftershocks with a magnitude of up to 7.5 for at least a month.
Consequences
- Several people sought medical assistance.
- A wall collapsed in a kindergarten in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, there were no casualties.
- The port of Severo-Kurilsk in the Sakhalin Region and a fishing enterprise were flooded by a tsunami wave.
- Problems with the Internet connection were registered in Kamchatka, later all communication nodes were restored.
- The working day in government agencies of the Kamchatka region was shortened to 01:00 p.m. (04:00 a.m.Moscow time, 01:00 a.m. GMT).
- The number of calls to ambulance teams in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky has increased.
- City Children's Clinic No. 1 in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is temporarily closed for technical inspection.
Reaction of local authorities
- The authorities promised to provide residents with temporary accommodation in safe places, if cracks dangerous to the structure of housing are found.
- A regional headquarters will be deployed to coordinate the actions of departments and services.
- A hotline has been established for residents after the earthquake in the Kuril Islands.
- The authorities of the Sakhalin Region are mobilizing forces and reserves to eliminate the consequences of the earthquake in Severo-Kurilsk.
Echoes of earthquakes in Japan and the USA
- A tsunami wave about 30 cm high after the earthquake in Kamchatka reached the northern part of Japan.
- The Japanese Self-Defense Forces deployed fighter jets, patrol aircraft and helicopters to monitor the situation over the Pacific Ocean.
- Specialists from the Japanese energy company Tokyo Electric Power suspended the next phase of the discharge of purified water from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant.
- Shinkansen bullet train service was suspended in central and northeastern Japan.
- No damage or casualties were reported in Japan.
- The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a tsunami warning following an earthquake in Kamchatka.
- The authorities of the Oahu island have called on coastal areas to evacuate immediately due to a tsunami threat following a powerful earthquake in Kamchatka.
https://tass.com/emergencies/1995825
‘Strongest in decades’ earthquake triggers tsunami: LIVE UPDATES
A powerful earthquake off the Kamchatka Peninsula has triggered tsunamis in Russia and Japan, with hazardous waves possible in Hawaii, Alaska, and other parts of the Pacific
An 8.8-magnitude earthquake, followed by multiple powerful aftershocks, struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, triggering tsunami alerts across several coastal regions in the northern Pacific.
The jolt, which occurred around 11:30am local time approximately 136 kilometers southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, was the strongest earthquake in the area since 1952, according to the Geophysical Service of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The first tsunami waves have already reached the shoreline of Severo-Kurilsk, a town in the northern Kuril Islands. Local authorities ordered the evacuation of the town’s population to elevated areas away from the coast.
Waves measuring around 30 centimeters were also observed along the coastline of Hokkaido in northern Japan, according to NHK, with authorities warning that subsequent waves could be higher.
The US National Tsunami Warning Center has issued a tsunami advisory for the entire US West Coast, as well as parts of Canada and Alaska. Tsunami advisories are also in effect for the entire state of Hawaii.
30 July 2025
03:03 GMT
A tidal rise of approximately one foot was recorded near Amchitka Island in Alaska, CNN reported, citing US monitoring data. This marks the first confirmed tsunami observation in the United States following the powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
02:27 GMT
The US Geological Survey has revised its preliminary estimate of the earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka to a magnitude of 8.8 – a figure that, if confirmed, would place it among the ten strongest ever recorded. The initial jolt was followed by at least 14 powerful aftershocks, measuring between 5.1 and 6.9.
02:08 GMT
Officials in Hawaii have ordered an “immediate evacuation” of some coastal areas, including the state capital Honolulu. “Take Action! Destructive tsunami waves are expected,” Honolulu’s Department of Emergency Management said in a post on X.
https://www.rt.com/news/622179-kamchatka-earthquake-tsunami/