Tsunami Waves Hit Japan, Russia After Massive Earthquake (Video)

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Jul 30, 2025 2:13 PM ET

All inhabitants along the Pacific Ocean, from Russia to Japan to Hawaii and the West Coast, were on high alert yesterday, following an earthquake off the Kamchatka Peninsula. The 8.7-magnitude quake was one of the largest on record, the biggest in the region since the devastating 2011 quake (9.0 on the Richter scale) that hit off Japan.

As a result of the quake, tsunami warnings, advisories, and watches were issued across the Pacific Ocean’s shorelines. Many evacuated, seeking higher ground.

However, the tsunami threat was minimal in places like Hawaii and California – a minor surge, ocean level rise, marginal reports of injury or damage. On the other hand, places close to the epicenter of the quake did see significant sea-level surges – locations like Japan and Russia’s Kuril Islands. See some footage below of the wave activity.

Scenes of destruction were captured in the town of Severo-Kurilsk in Russia’s Kuril Islands.

“We have promptly warned the population and carried out evacuation to upland,” said Valery Limarenko, Sakhalin Regional Governor. “People will stay there until the tsunami mode is canceled. Tentatively, housing stock hasn’t been seriously damaged. There are some minor disruptions: Chimneys were destroyed, there are cases of power supply interruption.”

Although downplayed, the footage shows a significant inundation of water through buildings.

Over in Japan, nearly two million people were ordered to evacuate, solely in the Iwate Prefecture. Aerial scenes from Hokkaido Prefecture show large, yet inconsequential waves pounding the coast. Additionally, at the Fukushima nuclear plant, the site of mass devastation during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, 4,000 workers were evacuated.

Meanwhile, across the Pacific Ocean in Hawaii and California, tsunami threats have been issued, with some being downgraded or canceled. On Tuesday evening, and into the early morning hours of Wednesday, some tsunami surges were documented, but minimal injuries or structural damage were reported. Stay tuned to NOAA for further updates.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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