A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Russia on Wednesday, prompting tsunami warnings for parts of Russia, Japan and the U.S. Pacific coast, including a tsunami watch for California.
The earthquake, which occurred at 4:25 p.m. PDT, struck about 80 miles southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at a depth of approximately 11 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicenter is located off Russia’s remote and sparsely populated far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.
The quake is the strongest to hit the region since the 9.0–9.1 magnitude megaquake that devastated northeastern Japan in 2011.
As of Wednesday evening, minimal damage had been reported in Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, according to regional governor Vladimir Solodov.
In response to the seismic activity, tsunami warnings were issued for parts of Russia and Japan. The National Weather Service Bay Area also issued a tsunami watch for California’s coastline, including Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.
“Tsunami watches are an advance notice to areas that could be impacted by a tsunami at a later time,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in a statement. “Watch areas may be upgraded to a warning or advisory status, or canceled, based on new information.”
The National Weather Service advised residents in coastal areas to stay alert and be aware of potential tsunami arrival times. Estimated times for wave activity in California include:
- Santa Barbara – July 30 at 12:50 a.m.
- San Francisco – July 30 at 12:50 a.m.
- L.A. Harbor – July 30 at 1:05 a.m.
- Newport Beach – July 30 at 1:10 a.m.
- La Jolla – July 30 at 1:15 a.m.
“As more information comes in, we will either see this become a Warning, an Advisory, or an Information Statement,” the weather service said on X, formerly Twitter.
In Huntington Beach, officials closed the harbor, pier and all local beaches as a precaution. The tsunami watch for California remains in effect until further notice.
