Note: The timings and events are correct as of 9:31am on 30/7/25 

8.8 magnitude earthquake is the largest earthquake since 2011 Fukushima earthquake 

An 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck  the North Pacific, off the coast of Russia, on Wednesday morning, triggering Tsunami warnings in Hawaii, Alaska, California and Japan, with forecasters predicting waves reaching up to 10 feet in places. 

This would make the earthquake, the tied sixth largest on record, and the most powerful since the 9.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Fukushima in 2011. 

The epicenter of the earthquake was 78 miles east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia according to the US Geological Survey. Media reports said that cliffs had collapsed into the sea, and buildings had collapsed. One of these was the façade of a kindergarten in the area, but nobody was in the building. 

The resulting impact from the earthquake is being felt across vast stretches of the Pacific, triggering alerts across the US West Coast, Japan, Hawaii, China, Taiwan, British Columbia and even as far as South America. 

The Japanese Government asked the 1.9 million people living along the nation’s Pacific coastline to seek higher ground, with authorities warning of waves of up to three meters (10 feet) hitting the coastline. Workers fled the low-lying parts of the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant that was wrecked in the 2011 earthquake. 

Meanwhile,  China’s Tsunami Warning Center issued an alert that the tsunami could create waves of up to two feet tall along the country’s east coast, striking the coasts of the Zhejiang Province and Shanghai. 

Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration warned of waves as high as 1 meter striking the country’s southeast shores and urged residents to be vigilant.  

Waves of a foot tall had been recorded in Alaska on late Tuesday, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. 

In Hawaii, the first tsunami waves arrived at 7:30pm on Tuesday evening local time, with mountain roads and airports closed. Residents were urged to find higher ground. Flights were cancelled at Hilo International Airport, and flights to and from Kahului Airport were cancelled, with passengers taking shelter at the airport, according to the NY Times. 

At the time of writing, Kahului, a community on Maui recorded the tallest Tsunami wave so far in Hawaii, at 5.7 feet tall, three hours after the initial waves arrived, according to Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. 

Hurricane Iona, the first named storm of 2025 hurricane season, has been tracking over the Ocean South of Hawaii since Sunday, with maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour. The National Hurricane Center said it expected it to move steadily westward over the next several days, with it not expecting to threaten land. 

Parts of California were also put under warnings, with beaches, docks and harbours closed because of strong and dangerous currents. US forecasters issued a warning for a stretch of region near the state line of Oregon, which includes Crescent City. Crescent, according to media reports, has been hit by 32 Tsunamis since 1933. 

Waves from several inches to around five feet high are expected to hit California. 

Recording a magnitude of 8.8, the earthquake will no doubt draw comparisons with the 2011 Fukushima earthquake. That earthquake recorded a 50ft tall tsunami, moving at the speed of a locomotive, flooding 200miles of shoreline and resulting in 19,000 deaths. 

Yet, as the NY Times reports, for each whole-number magnitude increase, the seismic energy released by a quake increases by about 31.6 times, according to the US Geological Survey. 

Therefore, a 8.8 magnitude earthquake produces 31.6 times more energy than, a 7.8 one. 

The strongest earthquake on record, according to the US Geological Survey, was a 9.5 magnitude earthquake recorded off the coast of Chile in 1960, resulted in 1,655 deaths and displacing two million people.  

While the extent of damage and impact on the nations from the earthquake will be unclear for some time, there has already been some mention regarding the economic damage, with the US Geological Survey, saying that it could result in billions of dollars of economic damage for Russia. 

“Extensive damage is probable and the disaster is likely widespread. Past events with these alert levels have required a national or international response”, the agency said.