Hawaiians brace for ‘wraparound' tsunami waves after Russia earthquake
There have been reports of traffic jams as people followed orders to find higher ground amid the threat of 'destructive' waves hitting within hours.
A magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Russia's far east earlier on Wednesday, Sydney time, sparking tsunami alerts for Japan, Hawaii, the west coast of the US and Pacific islands.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green pleaded on X for locals to 'please take this very seriously' and urged people to evacuate.
'Do not risk being out at all near the shoreline,' he said.
Mr Green added in a news briefing that a tsunami wave was 'not a regular wave'.
'It will actually kill you if you get hit by a tsunami, so you have to be out of that area.'
He said people should retreat 4000 feet (120m) from the shoreline to be 'absolutely safe'.
The Mayor of Maui Country Richard Bissen told Hawaii News Now on Wednesday afternoon that authorities would 'get a better idea (soon) about how big it is'.
'We know that traffic is challenging right now. The message is, stay calm, work together. We're not expecting the first wave until 7.10pm (3pm AEST),' he said.
'Here on Maui, there will be shelters open. They'll all be open, they'll be staffed. We want people to know that water will be shut off to prevent contamination. It's sort of a rolling shut-off, so if people want to start filling up water containers, now would be the time.
'Take care of yourself, your family and help those who need assistance.
'Anyone in an inundation zone, there are several throughout the island. This wave will be a wraparound wave. Although it will come from the west, it will wrap around the island.'
People staying in tourists hotels on the famous islands have been told to evacuate or remain four storeys or above.
The entire west coast of the US is on tsunami alert, with the National Weather Service in California's Bay Area saying 'this will NOT be a single wave'.
'Do NOT try to go to the coast to take photos,' it wrote on X.
'You're not just putting yourself at risk, you will also be putting rescue teams at risk.'
The 8.8 magnitude earthquake is the biggest recorded on earth since 2011 when a 9.1 megaquake hit northeast Japan and left 19,747 people either dead or missing.
It is the strongest in the region since 1952.
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