July 30, 2025 – Global News Desk: A recent tsunami has raised concerns worldwide.
Whoa, things got a little dicey today! A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia near the Kamchatka Peninsula early this morning. And get this – it sent tsunami waves rippling across the entire Pacific Ocean, triggering emergency alerts and evacuations in Japan, Hawaii, and even the U.S. West Coast, among other places.
Geological experts are saying this quake was pretty deep, about 19 kilometers down, and around 120 kilometers southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Apparently, it’s one of the biggest shakes the region has seen since that huge one back in 1952.
What Happened Where?
- Russia: The town of Severo-Kurilsk got hit pretty hard. We’re talking waves as high as 5 meters (that’s over 16 feet!) crashing into the ports, messing up a fish plant, and even washing boats away. In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, schools and kindergartens took some damage, and there were some temporary problems with power and communication. Thankfully, only a few injuries were reported, and no one died.
- Japan: They issued tsunami warnings for the northern coast, and waves of up to 1.3 meters (around 4 feet) were reported near Hokkaido. Almost 2 million people had to evacuate coastal areas, including around those Fukushima nuclear plants, just to be safe. Sadly, one person died during an evacuation in Mie Prefecture. Big companies like Nissan even stopped work at their factories for a bit to make sure everyone was safe.
- Hawaii & U.S. West Coast: Hawaii saw waves up to 1.7 meters (about 5.5 feet) in places like Hilo and Kahului. Airports closed, roads were blocked off, and people along the coast had to evacuate. The Coast Guard told ships to get out of the harbors and put rescue teams on standby. Northern California got waves up to 1.1 meters (around 3.5 feet), and there was some minor wave action in San Francisco Bay. Luckily, no major damage or injuries have been reported so far.
The Ripple Effect
Tsunami alerts and advisories went out to a bunch of other countries too, including Canada, Taiwan, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Ecuador, and Chile. Officials are warning that we could see more waves coming for hours, maybe even days.
Seismologists are also saying there could be aftershocks as strong as magnitude 7.5, so they’re telling everyone near the coast to stay alert.
This earthquake, being one of the strongest since the 2011 Japan disaster, is a stark reminder of how active the “Ring of Fire” in the Pacific can be. Stay safe out there, everyone!
