US West Coast, Hawaii and Alaska impacted by tsunami alerts after massive quake off Russia
The earthquake off Russia's eastern Kamchatka Peninsula that triggered tsunami waves and prompted evacuation orders across the Pacific on Wednesday was the strongest earthquake in more than 14 years.
On Wednesday morning, the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 8.0, Japan and U.S. seismologists said before the U.S. Geological Survey later updated its measurement to 8.8 magnitude.
The earthquake appears to be the strongest anywhere in the world since March 2011, when a 9.0 magnitude earthquake off northeast Japan caused a massive tsunami that set off meltdowns at a nuclear power plant.
Only a few earthquakes measured around the world have been stronger.
Tsunami waves arrived on the eastern coast of Japan on Wednesday following a powerful earthquake off Russia on Tuesday evening, which left several people injured.
The 8.8 magnitude quake triggered fears of a tsunami across much of the Pacific Ocean basin, including the shores of Hawaii, southern Alaska, the entire U.S. West Coast and British Columbia.
Much of Japan's eastern seaboard was ordered to evacuate ahead of the tsunami's arrival.
As of early Wednesday morning, tsunami warnings are in effect for Hawaii and parts of Alaska and the U.S. West Coast, while British Columbia is under a Tsunami advisory after the earthquake struck just east of Petropavlovsk, Russia, according to FOX Weather.
China's Ministry of Natural Resources' Tsunami Warning Center issued an alert on Wednesday for parts of the country's east coast along Shanghai and Zhejiang provinces.
The waves could reach between 1 to 3 feet, according to forecasts.
Shanghai and Zhejiang are already under alert as Typhoon CoMay is expected to land in the Zhejiang province on Wednesday.
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