On July 29, 2025, a massive earthquake, upgraded to a magnitude 8.7, struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula at 4:25 p.m. Pacific Time, centered 80 miles east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at a depth of 19.3 kilometers. The U.S. Geological Survey revised the magnitude from an initial 8.0, marking it among the strongest quakes since the 2011 Japan disaster. The shallow megathrust event, along the Pacific Ring of Fire, unleashed tsunami waves up to 13 feet, flooding parts of Russia’s Kuril Islands and prompting evacuations in Severo-Kurilsk.
Tsunami warnings were issued for Hawaii, Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, and Japan’s Pacific coast, with waves up to 10 feet expected. California, Oregon, and Washington face a tsunami advisory, with potential waves of six feet in areas like Crescent City, California, arriving around 11:50 p.m. The National Tsunami Warning Center urged coastal residents to avoid beaches due to dangerous currents, emphasizing that waves could persist for hours. Japan evacuated coastal areas, with Hokkaido reporting 30-centimeter waves, while Fukushima’s nuclear plant halted operations as a precaution.
Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov called it the region’s strongest quake since 1952, with a kindergarten damaged but no serious injuries reported. Aftershocks, including a 6.9-magnitude tremor, continue to rattle the region. The quake’s intensity, tied with the 2010 Chile earthquake as the sixth-strongest on record, underscores the Pacific’s seismic volatility. Authorities across affected regions remain on high alert as investigations assess the full scope of damage.
