The Latest: Tsunami hits Russia's Kuril Islands and Japan's northern island of Hokkaido
Tsunami warning sirens blared in Honolulu as residents were urged to higher ground. 'Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property,' the warning stated. The first waves in Hawaii were expected around 7 p.m. local time.
The first tsunami wave hit the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk, the main settlement on Russia's Kuril Islands in the Pacific, according to the local governor Valery Limarenko. He said residents were safe and staying on high ground until the threat of a repeat wave was gone.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said waves of 1 to 3 meters (3 to 10 feet) above tide level were possible along some coastal areas of Hawaii, Chile, Japan and the Solomon Islands. Waves of more than 3 meters (10 feet) were possible along some coastal areas of Russia and Ecuador.
Here's the latest:
Japanese nuclear power plants stop work
Japanese nuclear power plants along the Pacific coasts have suspended their work schedule in response to the tsunami alert, but so far no abnormalities have been reported.
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which operates the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, said about 4,000 workers are taking shelter at higher grounds on the plant complex while monitoring remotely to ensure plant safety.
Its release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea is also temporarily suspended as a cautionary step.
Russian scientists call the earthquake a 'unique event'
The 8.8-magnitude earthquake was the strongest to hit that area in Kamchatka since 1952, according to the local branch of the Geophysical Survey of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
In a statement posted on their Telegram channel, they called the earthquake a 'unique event.' They said the epicenter was near a recent earthquake that struck the peninsula on July 20.
While the situation 'was under control,' they said there are risks of aftershocks, which could last for up to a month, and warned against visiting certain coastal areas.
Oregon officials say small tsunami expected to reach the state's coastline
The Oregon Department of Emergency Management said on Facebook that small tsunami waves were expected to reach parts of the state's coastline starting around 11:40 p.m. local time, with wave heights between 1 to 3 feet (30 to 90 centimeters).
It urged people to stay away from beaches, harbors and marinas and to remain in a safe location away from the coast until the advisory is lifted.
'This is not a major tsunami, but dangerous currents and strong waves may pose a risk to those near the water,' the department said.
Oregon is under a tsunami advisory, along with much of the U.S. West Coast spanning British Columbia, Washington state and California.
The Philippines warns residents of possible tsunami waves
Philippine authorities warned provinces and towns along the archipelago's eastern coast facing the Pacific of possible tsunami waves of less than 1 meter (3 feet) that could hit between 1:20pm to 2:40 pm (local time) and advised people to stay away from the beach and coastal areas.
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'It may not be the largest of waves, but these can continue for hours and expose people swimming in the waters to danger,' Teresito Bacolcol of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology told The Associated Press.
First waves hit Hokkaido in Japan and Russia's Kuril Islands
The Japan Meteorological Agency said a first tsunami wave of about 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) reached Nemuro on the eastern coast of Hokkaido.
The first tsunami wave hit the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk, the main settlement on Russia's Kuril Islands in the Pacific, according to the local governor Valery Limarenko.
He said residents were safe and staying on high ground until the threat of a repeat wave was gone.
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