RUSSIA,JUL 30 : A tsunami has hit coastal areas of Russia\u2019s Kuril Islands and Japan\u2019s large northern island of Hokkaido after a powerful, 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia early Wednesday. Warnings are also in place for Alaska, Hawaii and other coasts south toward New Zealand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami as high as 40 centimeters (1.3 feet) had been detected in 16 locations as the waves moved south along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to just northeast of Tokyo. Officials urged caution, saying that bigger waves could come later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Damage and evacuations were reported in the Russian regions nearest the quake\u2019s epicenter on the Kamchatka Peninsula.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
900,000 people under evacuation advisories in Japan<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Japan\u2019s Fire an Disaster Management Agency said so far no injuries or damage have been reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The agency, in response to the tsunami alert, issued an evacuation advisory to more than 900,000 residents in 133 municipalities along Japan\u2019s Pacific coast, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. The number of people who actually took shelter was not available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
tsunami of 50 centimeters (1.6 feet) was detected at the Ishinomaki, the highest detected so far in the aftermath of Wednesday\u2019s earthquake, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The strongest quake in over a decade<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The earthquake at 8:25 a.m. Japan time had a preliminary magnitude of 8.0, Japan and US seismologists said. The US Geological Survey later updated its measurement to 8.8 magnitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It appears to be the strongest anywhere in the world since the March 2011 quake off northeast Japan that was 9.0 magnitude and caused a massive tsunami that set off meltdowns at a nuclear power plant. Only a few stronger earthquakes have ever been measured around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Connections restored in Russian peninsula hit hard by quake<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Internet and phone connections have been restored in Kamchatka following the massive earthquake, according to the Russian news agency Tass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Videos posted on social media showed the fa\u00e7ade of a collapsed kindergarten in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. No casualties were reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A port in Severo-Kurilsk, on the Kuril Islands in the Pacific, was flooded after a tsunami wave hit the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ussian news agencies quoting the regional Health Ministry said several people sought medical help in Kamchatka after the earthquake, but no serious injuries were reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tsunami alert in Japan complicates transportation<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ferries connecting Hokkaido and Aomori on the northern tip of Japan\u2019s Honshu island were suspended, as well as those connecting Tokyo and nearby islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some local train operations have been suspended or delayed as well, according to operators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sendai airport says its runway has been temporarily closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tsunami waves detected at multiple points on Japan\u2019s Pacific coast<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Japan Meteorological Agency says a tsunami as high as 40 centimeters (1.3 feet) has been detected at 16 locations as the waves have moved south along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido down to just northeast of Tokyo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Officials urge residents to use caution as bigger waves could come later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mexico\u2019s Navy warns Pacific coast to anticipate tsunami waves<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mexico\u2019s Navy says waves between 30 to 100 centimeters (1 to 3.3 feet) are expected on the Mexican Pacific coast after the tsunami set off by the 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Russia\u2019s Far East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a report, the Navy\u2019s tsunami warning center said the waves will begin to reach the northern coast in Ensenada, near California, at around 2:22 a.m. Wednesday central time in Mexico, and it will continue south along the Pacific coast until it reaches the Chiapas states around 7:15 a.m. local time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Pacific coast remains under a tsunami advisory, and the Navy recommended people stay away from the beaches until it suspends an alert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New Zealand warns of \u2018strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges\u2019 along its coastlines<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New Zealand authorities issued warnings of \u201cstrong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges\u201d along coastlines throughout the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The alert by the government emergency management agency said people should move out of the water, off beaches and shore areas, and away from harbors, marinas, rivers and estuaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Japanese nuclear power plants along the Pacific coasts have suspended their work schedule in response to the tsunami alert, but so far no abnormalities have been reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which operates the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, said about 4,000 workers are taking shelter at higher grounds on the plant complex while monitoring remotely to ensure plant safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Its release of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea is also temporarily suspended as a cautionary step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
he 8.8-magnitude earthquake was the strongest to hit that area in Kamchatka since 1952, according to the local branch of the Geophysical Survey of the Russian Academy of Sciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a statement posted on their Telegram channel, they called the earthquake a \u201cunique event.\u201d They said the epicenter was near a recent earthquake that struck the peninsula on July 20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the situation \u201cwas under control,\u201d they said there are risks of aftershocks, which could last for up to a month, and warned against visiting certain coastal areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oregon says small tsunami expected to reach state\u2019s coastline<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Oregon Department of Emergency Management said on Facebook that small tsunami waves were expected to reach parts of the state\u2019s coastline starting around 11:40 p.m. local time, with wave heights between 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It urged people to stay away from beaches, harbors and marinas and to remain in a safe location away from the coast until the advisory is lifted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is not a major tsunami, but dangerous currents and strong waves may pose a risk to those near the water,\u201d the department said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oregon is under a tsunami advisory, along with much of the US West Coast spanning British Columbia, Washington state and California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Philippine authorities warned provinces and towns along the archipelago\u2019s eastern coast facing the Pacific of possible tsunami waves of less than 1 meter (3 feet) that could hit between 1:20 p.m. to 2:40 p.m. (local time) and advised people to stay away from the beach and coastal areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt may not be the largest of waves, but these can continue for hours and expose people swimming in the waters to danger,\u201d Teresito Bacolcol of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology told The Associated Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Japan Meteorological Agency said a first tsunami wave of about 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) reached Nemuro on the eastern coast of Hokkaido.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first tsunami wave hit the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk, the main settlement on Russia\u2019s Kuril Islands in the Pacific, according to the local governor Valery Limarenko.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said residents were safe and staying on high ground until the threat of a repeat wave was gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-AFP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
RUSSIA,JUL 30 : A tsunami has hit coastal areas of Russia\u2019s Kuril Islands and Japan\u2019s large northern island of Hokkaido after a powerful, 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140137,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[348],"tags":[3715,2512,27419],"class_list":["post-140133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national-news","tag-japan","tag-russia","tag-tsunami-hits-russias-islands-and-japan-after-8-8-magnitude-earthquake-off-russia"],"yoast_head":"\n