‘An extraordinary event’ Tsunami waves hit Kamchatka after historic earthquake strikes off Russian coast

A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, about 149 kilometers (92 miles) from the regional capital, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, according to the local branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Geophysical Service. Preliminary estimates put the quake’s magnitude as high as 8.7, making it the most powerful in the Kamchatka seismic zone since 1952. “This is unquestionably an extraordinary event,” the service wrote on Telegram. The quake triggered tsunami waves that reached the coasts of Russia, Japan, and the U.S. within hours. Meduza shares footage of the aftermath in Kamchatka and outlines what we know about the disaster so far.

Flooding and evacuations

Japanese and American agencies initially estimated the earthquake’s magnitude at 8.0. The U.S. Geological Survey later revised its estimate to 8.8, a figure also confirmed by Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov. According to the Associated Press, the quake could be the most powerful globally since the 9.0-magnitude disaster off Japan’s northeast coast in March 2011.

Kamchatka authorities issued a tsunami warning shortly after the quake. The Geophysical Service reported detecting a dangerous tsunami along the Kamchatka coastline and in Severo-Kurilsk, a town in the Sakhalin region. There, waves flooded the port, damaged the Alaid fish processing plant, and swept vessels into a nearby strait, prompting local officials to declare a state of emergency. Several buildings were damaged, according to the regional prosecutor’s office. Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said residents and tourists along the coast were evacuated.

In Kamchatka’s Yelizovo District, a wave measuring three to four meters (10–13 feet) was recorded near the Vodopadnaya weather station, according to the Russian state news agency TASS. A tsunami was also observed at Kurile Lake, officials from the Kronotsky State Nature Reserve said. Roughly 2,700 people were evacuated to safety in the Kuril Islands due to the threat.

Injuries and medical strain

In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the quake reached an intensity of at least seven points, according to preliminary data. A wall collapsed at a kindergarten, but no injuries were reported. Kamchatka Health Minister Oleg Melnikov told TASS that several people were injured, including one person who jumped from a window while trying to flee. Later, he clarified on Telegram that only one woman, injured inside the airport, had required hospital care. Still, ambulance services reported a surge in calls related to blood pressure spikes, arrhythmia, and epilepsy.

Dramatic footage shared online showed staff at a Kamchatka oncology clinic holding a patient steady during surgery as the quake hit. Authorities said they plan to nominate the medical team for awards.

Internet service across Kamchatka was temporarily knocked out but has since been restored. Regional nature parks have closed hiking routes as a precaution.

Ongoing threats

Tsunami warnings were issued across the Pacific, including in Japan, Indonesia, the United States, Mexico, Chile, and Peru. In Japan, authorities warned of waves up to three meters (10 feet) high. Public broadcaster NHK reported a 1.3-meter (4-foot) wave in Kuji port, Iwate Prefecture. More than 200,000 people were evacuated, and high-speed rail service was suspended in parts of central and northeastern Japan. Several waves came ashore in Tateyama, though no injuries were reported. In Hawaii, the U.S. Coast Guard ordered vessels to leave port.

More than 50 aftershocks followed the main quake, some of which were clearly felt, the Russian Geophysical Service reported. Seismologists warned that “strong, noticeable aftershocks will continue for at least another month” and that quakes of up to magnitude 7.5 remain possible. Such aftershocks, they said, could bring tremors rated 5 to 6 in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and trigger additional tsunamis.