Latest news with #earthquake
The Guardian
29 minutes ago
- General
- The Guardian
No, Oprah Winfrey didn't block access to a road in Hawaii amid tsunami warning evacuations
Even as the threat of a tsunami swamping Hawaii had passed on Wednesday, social media posts were still circulating claims that Oprah Winfrey had refused immediate access to a private road that would allow residents a shorter evacuation route. The warnings followed one of the century's most powerful earthquakes, an 8.8 magnitude quake that struck off a Russian peninsula and generated tsunami warnings and advisories for a wide swath of the Pacific. Posts on X and TikTok contended Winfrey refused to open her private road, or was slow to do so during the evacuation. But the roadway does not actually belong to Winfrey, and efforts to open the road to the public started soon after the tsunami warning was issued. Here's a closer look at the facts. Fact: This is false. Despite being commonly known as 'Oprah's road', the portion of Kealakapu Road is privately owned – but not by Winfrey. The road belongs to Haleakalā Ranch, a 30,000 acre property spanning the southern shoreline to Upcountry Maui, which has been family-owned and operated since the late 1800s. The private road connects a public roadway with a highway on the island's oceanside. Winfrey has an easement agreement with the ranch, which allows her to use and make certain improvements to the road, her representative said in a statement. Winfrey has paved the road as part of the agreement, Haleakalā Ranch's president Scott Meidell said. The decision to open the road to the public is principally up to the landowner, Winfrey's representative noted. Meidell said Haleakalā Ranch 'had conversations with Ms Winfrey's land management staff during this process. So, they're consulted to be sure.' Haleakalā Ranch contacted the local fire department and the Maui Emergency Management Agency just after 3pm local time, shortly after the tsunami warning went into effect, Meidell said. The road was made accessible shortly after 5pm, he said, and ranch personnel assisted in the evacuation of around 150 to 200 vehicles until the final group of cars were escorted up the road at 7pm. Maui County officials said in a press release shortly after 7pm Tuesday that 'Oprah's road' was accessible to the public, an advisory repeated in a 9.30pm update. But Meidell said further evacuations weren't necessary after 7pm because police had confirmed 'at that point the highway was completely empty of traffic'. Maui police and the Maui Emergency Management Agency did not immediately return the Associated Press's requests for comment. 'As soon as we heard the tsunami warnings, we contacted local law enforcement and Fema to ensure the road was opened. Any reports otherwise are false,' a representative for Winfrey wrote in a statement first disseminated to news outlets Tuesday night. The decision to open the road was made quickly 'when the warning was issued to evacuate, working with local officials and Oprah's Ranch', the representative added in a statement Wednesday. Cars were escorted in separate caravans that each 'had a lead vehicle and a sweep vehicle to make sure that there weren't any incidents on the mountain road'. Meidell said. Some Hawaii residents have long expressed frustration with the large swaths of land wealthy public figures such as Winfrey own on Maui and have advocated against short-term rentals that dot the region and worsen the already low housing supply. The islands have faced a chronic housing shortage only exacerbated in 2023 when a deadly wildfire destroyed most of Lahaina, a town on Maui and the historic former capital of the Hawaiian kingdom. The wildfire left more than 100 people dead. At the time, social media users claimed with no evidence that Winfrey had hired private firefighters to protect her land before the fires started, and hired security to keep others off her land during the evacuations. Some X users also spread false claims linking Winfrey to the cause of the blaze. Winfrey teamed up with Dwayne Johnson to launch the People's Fund for Maui and committed $10m to help residents who lost their homes in the wildfires. The fund raised almost $60m as of April 2024. In 2019, Winfrey confirmed on X, then known as Twitter, that county officials were given permission to use the private road immediately after a brush fire started on Maui's southern area. The road ultimately was not used, Maui County spokesperson Chris Sugidono said at the time.
RNZ News
40 minutes ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Tsunami threat extended as surges arrive on New Zealand shores
A boat at Evans Bay, Wellington, 31 July 2025. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii Emergency officials have extended the tsunami threat for New Zealand and have urged people to stay away from shorelines until at least 3pm. An 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off Russia's remote east coast on Wednesday, triggering tsunami waves on multiple country's shores - including New Zealand, several Pacific nations, the US and Canadian coasts, and parts of South America. The quake is tied for the sixth-strongest ever recorded, and the strongest since 2011, when a 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit northeast Japan, triggering a devastating tsunami. Oriental Bay, Wellington, 31 July 2025. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii Tsunami currents reached parts of the country overnight and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) warned the first surges were unlikely to be the largest. NEMA said the threat for New Zealand's coast was likely to remain in place until at least 3pm. Read more: Director of civil defence emergency management John Price told Morning Report there had been reports of tsunami activity in North Cape, Tauranga, Kaikōura, Castle Point, and Christchurch. He said surges could injure and drown people, and there is a danger to swimmers, surfers, people fishing, and anyone close to shore. "This is still an active threat. It is still a threat to human life." People on the beach at Lyall Bay, Wellington, 31 July 2025. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii Despite the warnings, people were walking dogs, running and swimming at Takapuna Beach. For Irina Kalatcheva, it was a matter of distance. "If it was maybe close to New Zealand, yes of course we will not go to walk, but it's so far away," she said. Despite warnings of tsunami activity, people were out on Takapuna Beach on Thursday morning. Photo: RNZ / Liu Chen NEMA said the threat must be regarded as real until it advised otherwise. Price told Morning Report there had been a glitch with the alert system which resulted in some people receiving multiple texts. There have been two official alerts and NEMA would be trying to work out why some people had received more than that. Civil Defence Northland said the forecast tsunami activity in its region that had been expected at about 12am-1am, would coincide with high tide. Further south, Bluff was not expected to see its earliest tsunami waves until at least 4.46 am. Overnight, various online webcams, dotted along the country's coasts and monitored by RNZ did not appear to reveal any damage. Boaties were advised not to remain on their vessels. Auckland Emergency Management opened four Civil Defence Centres for people lived aboard and who did not have friends or family to stay with. General manager Adam Maggs told Morning Report no significant issues were raised or noted around Auckland overnight. Two boaties spent the night at its Waikeke Island civil defence centre. Cook Strait ferries have been diverted from using the Tory Channel to the Marlborough Sound's northern entrance due to tsunami activity advisories. Three sailings were affected overnight adding 40 minutes to the journey. The Marlborough Harbourmaster briefly lifted the order on Thursday morning, before reinstating it. An Interislander spokesperson said it would be reassessed after midday. In Wellington, the East by West ferry which runs across the harbour between the CBD and Eastbourne cancelled services until at least 10am on Thursday. Further afield, while many countries began to lift their tsunami warnings into the early hours of Thursday, others issued new ones. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said New Zealanders in affected areas should follow the advice of local authorities at all times, including any evacuation orders, and let family and friends in New Zealand know that they were safe. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
CNN
an hour ago
- Politics
- CNN
Johnson says he wants ‘everything on Epstein evils' to be released
Johnson says he wants 'everything on Epstein evils' to be released In an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he wants everything possible on the Epstein files to be released, something he says the president wants as well. 01:55 - Source: CNN How an earthquake causes a tsunami A massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck off Russia's east coast is tied for the sixth strongest ever recorded. Tsunami warnings were issued across the Pacific. CNN Meteorologist Chris Warren explains how an earthquake turns into a tsunami. 01:16 - Source: CNN Police release new images of the gun used in the Midtown Manhattan shooting Photos released by the New York City Police Department show the assault-style rifle 27-year-old Shane Devon Tamura used to fatally shoot four people – including a police officer – and wound one before killing himself in Midtown Manhattan. 00:52 - Source: CNN 8.8 magnitude earthquake has effects across the globe An 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Russia's Far East raised tsunami alerts in Japan, Alaska, Hawaii and along the US West Coast. The tsunami warning for the state of Hawaii has been downgraded to an advisory. Authorities continue to monitor conditions and urge returning residents to remain vigilant. This quake is tied for the sixth strongest ever recorded. 00:39 - Source: CNN Tsunami warnings triggered after major earthquake The strongest earthquake on the planet since 2011 has triggered tsunami warnings for parts of Russia, Japan, and Alaska, as well as all of Hawaii. CNN's Will Ripley reports on the 8.8-magnitude quake. 00:41 - Source: CNN Delta announces generative AI ticketing CNN Business editor-at-large Richard Quest breaks down Delta's announcement that the airline will deploy large-scale, advanced artificial intelligence towards ticket pricing — and what that means for the price of your next flight. 01:31 - Source: CNN Therapist treating Epstein victims says Trump's language 'dehumanizes' CNN's John Berman speaks with Randee Kogan, a therapist for victims of Jeffrey Epstein, about President Donald Trump saying Epstein "stole people that worked for me" and possibly pardoning Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. 01:12 - Source: CNN Ghislaine Maxwell's attorneys lay out conditions to be met before she gives testimony to Congress Jeffrey Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell has offered to testify before Congress, but with major conditions, including immunity. CNN's Kaitlan Collins breaks down the list of demands sent to the House Oversight Committee by her attorneys. 01:20 - Source: CNN Trump and Netanyahu spar over starvation claims President Trump told reporters that the imagery out of Gaza was 'real starvation' and that 'you can't fake that' in a rare rebuke of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who claimed over the weekend that there is 'no starvation in Gaza.' A recent UN-backed agency alert, meanwhile, warned that the 'worst-case scenario of famine' is unfolding in Gaza. 01:12 - Source: CNN Bystanders confront man after 11 injured in Walmart stabbing A 42-year-old suspect was taken into custody after deputies responded to a stabbing at a Walmart in Traverse City, Michigan, on Saturday, Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea said. Seven of the eleven victims are in fair condition and four are in serious condition as of Sunday morning, according to Munson Healthcare. 01:05 - Source: CNN Video shows passengers evacuating plane onto runway More than 150 passengers on an American Airlines flight departing from Denver International Airport were evacuated onto the runway after a 'possible landing gear incident' left one person injured and sparked a fire, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. 00:46 - Source: CNN Friend describes pastor's ICE detention CNN's Victor Blackwell speaks to the family friend of a detained pastor, Daniel Fuentes Espinal. Espinal, who fled Honduras 24 years ago to escape poverty and violence, is waiting to hear when he will face an immigration judge after his arrest this week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 01:55 - Source: CNN Farmworkers in constant fear amid ICE raids Facing constant threats of deportation, undocumented farmworkers in California must decide whether to show up to work the busy harvest season or stay safe from ICE. CNN's Julia Vargas Jones heads to Ventura County where she speaks to worried farmers and their increasingly fearful laborers. 02:13 - Source: CNN Trump rails against windmills again President Donald Trump urged European leaders to 'stop the windmills' when reporters asked him questions at the airport in Glasgow, Scotland. This isn't the first time in recent memory that the president has directed his ire at the renewable energy source. 01:00 - Source: CNN Investigators share details of how hard Xana Kernodle fought Kohberger CNN's Jean Casarez asked two top law enforcement officials in Moscow, Idaho about Xana Kernodle's fight against Bryan Kohberger, with over 50 reported stab wounds. Officials shared that Kernodle, who was up at the time, "fought hard" for her life as Kohberger attacked her. 00:49 - Source: CNN Investigators reveal findings from Kohberger's phone CNN's Jean Casarez sat down with Idaho State Police lead investigator on the Bryan Kohberger case, Lt. Darren Gilbertson, who shared details about what was found on Kohberger's phone during the investigation. Gilbertson sheds light on the Kohberger investigation, including how police found screenshots and pictures of news coverage of the attack on Kohberger's phone. 02:07 - Source: CNN Why are Thailand and Cambodia fighting? Tensions are rising between Thailand and Cambodia over a border dispute that dates back to 1907. CNN's Will Ripley explains how the conflict has escalated. 01:32 - Source: CNN CNN reports from Gaza aid crossing CNN's Nic Robertson is on the scene at the Kerem Shalom border crossing as aid agencies warn of rampant hunger caused by Israel's blockade of Gaza. Gaza's health ministry said on Tuesday that 900,000 children are going hungry, and 70,000 already show signs of malnutrition. Israel denies it is at fault and accuses Hamas of 'engineering' food shortages. 01:39 - Source: CNN Almost 50 missing as plane crashes in Russia Dozens of civilians are feared dead, including children, after a Soviet era passenger jet crashed in Russia's far east Amur Region. Burning wreckage was discovered by rescuers just 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the Tynda airport, the plane's destination. 00:30 - Source: CNN Erin Burnett on the significance of Trump knowing he's in the Epstein files CNN's Erin Burnett explains how reports that President Trump was briefed that he is named in the Epstein files shine a light on his recent denials of that exact claim. 02:13 - Source: CNN Judge declines to release Epstein grand jury documents A Florida federal judge declined to release additional grand jury documents from the criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, marking the first roadblock in the Justice Department's efforts to quell the public backlash over the handling of the case. CNN's Evan Perez reports. 02:43 - Source: CNN Bryan Kohberger sentenced to life in prison Bryan Kohberger has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murders of four University of Idaho students. 01:29 - Source: CNN Fans pay tribute to Ozzy Osbourne Fans have gathered in Ozzy Osbourne's hometown to pay tribute to the former Black Sabbath singer, who died yesterday at the age of 76. One of them told CNN's Salma Abdelaziz that Osbourne will 'live on forever in his music.' 01:07 - Source: CNN Hot Chinese brands are coming to America Chinese brands like Luckin Coffee, Pop Mart, and HEYTEA are expanding in the United States, despite the ongoing trade war. CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich and Marc Stewart report from two different continents on why the companies covet American customers. 02:10 - Source: CNN Metal legend Ozzy Osbourne dies at 76-years-old Ozzy Osbourne, the hellraising frontman of Black Sabbath and reality TV star, has died aged 76. CNN's Stephanie Elam looks back at the legendary career as the Godfather of Heavy Metal. 03:05 - Source: CNN Newly uncovered photos show Jeffrey Epstein attended Trump's wedding in 1993 Photos from Trump's 1993 wedding and video footage from 1999 Victoria's Secret fashion show shed light on Trump-Epstein relationship. CNN's Andrew Kaczynski has the story. 01:31 - Source: CNN Missing child case from 46 years ago reopened A federal appeals court overturned the verdict of Pedro Hernandez, the bodega worker who was found guilty in 2017 of kidnapping and murdering Etan Patz in 1979. Patz was 6 years old when he disappeared on the first day he was allowed to walk alone to his school bus stop in New York City. 01:50 - Source: CNN
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Millions return home as Pacific tsunami warnings lifted
PUERTO AYORA, Ecuador: Tsunami warnings were lifted across the Pacific rim Wednesday, allowing millions of temporary evacuees to return home. After one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded rattled Russia's sparsely populated Far East, more than a dozen nations — from Japan to the United States to Ecuador — warned citizens to stay away from coastal regions. Storm surges of up to four meters (12 feet) were predicted for some parts of the Pacific, after the 8.8 quake struck off Russia's Kamchatka peninsula. The tsunamis caused widespread disruption. Peru closed 65 of its 121 Pacific ports and authorities on Maui canceled flights to and from the Hawaiian island. But fears of a catastrophe were not realized, with country after country lifting or downgrading warnings and telling coastal residents they could return. In Japan, almost two million people had been ordered to higher ground, before the warnings were downgraded or rescinded. The Fukushima nuclear plant in northeast Japan — destroyed by a huge quake and tsunami in 2011 — was temporarily evacuated. The only reported fatality was a woman killed while driving her car off a cliff in Japan as she tried to escape, local media reported. In Chile, authorities conducted what the Interior Ministry said was 'perhaps the most massive evacuation ever carried out in our country' — with 1.4 million people ordered to high ground. Chilean authorities reported no damage or victims and registered waves of just 60 centimeters (two feet) on the country's north coast. In the Galapagos Islands, where waves of up to three meters were expected, there was relief as the Ecuadoran navy's oceanographic institute said the danger had passed. Locals reported the sea level falling and then rising suddenly, a phenomenon which is commonly seen with the arrival of a tsunami. But only a surge of just over a meter was reported, causing no damage. 'Everything is calm, I'm going back to work. The restaurants are reopening and the places tourists visit are also open again,' said 38-year-old Santa Cruz resident Isabel Grijalva. Earlier national parks were closed, schools were shuttered, loudspeakers blared warnings and tourists were spirited off sightseeing boats and onto the safety of land. The worst damage was seen in Russia, where a tsunami crashed through the port of Severo-Kurilsk and submerged the local fishing plant, officials said. Russian state television footage showed buildings and debris swept into the sea. The surge of water reached as far as the town's World War II monument about 400 meters from the shoreline, said Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov. The initial quake also caused limited damage and only light injuries, despite being the strongest since 2011, when 15,000 people were killed in Japan. Russian scientists reported that the Klyuchevskoy volcano erupted shortly after the earthquake. 'Red-hot lava is observed flowing down the western slope. There is a powerful glow above the volcano and explosions,' said Russia's Geophysical Survey. Wednesday's quake was the strongest in the Kamchatka region since 1952, the regional seismic monitoring service said, warning of aftershocks of up to 7.5 magnitude. The US Geological Survey said the quake was one of the 10 strongest tremors recorded since 1900. It was followed by dozens of aftershocks that further shook the Russian Far East, including one of 6.9 magnitude. The USGS said there was a 59 percent chance of an aftershock of more than 7.0 magnitude in the next week.
RNZ News
an hour ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Live: Warnings still in place as tsunami currents reach new Zealand shores
Emergency authorities say a tsunami threat to New Zealand from the giant quake off Russia's Kamchatka peninsula is likely to remain in force until at least midday. NEMA in its latest update says tsunami activity has already reached parts of New Zealand. It says the threat must be regarded as real until the tsunami alert is cancelled. There has been some minor surging seen in Tai Rāwhiti, with an average of 20cm up to 30-40cm at the boat ramp in the inner harbour, Tairāwhiti Civil Defence says. The Christchurch City Council says staff have seen some tsunami activity on Canterbury's tsunami gauges overnight, as well as some unusual currents and surges at the shore . Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
