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US: Early on Wednesday, one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded occurred in Russia’s Far East, causing tsunami waves to travel across the Pacific to Japan and Hawaii. Although there hasn’t been any significant damage recorded yet, officials cautioned that the danger might persist for more than a day and advised residents to stay away from shorelines.

As populations fled inland, ports on the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula near the epicenter of the 8.8 magnitude earthquake flooded, while white, foamy waves rushed up to the coast in northern Japan. Even in places far from the coast, traffic was at a halt as cars clogged the capital city of Hawaii’s streets and roads.

With memories of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that resulted in reactor meltdowns at a nuclear power plant still vivid, people traveled to evacuation centers in impacted parts of Japan. On Wednesday, there were no recorded anomalies at the nuclear facilities in Japan.

Russian officials reported many injuries but could not provide an exact number. At least one person was hurt in Japan.

There have been reports of tsunamis up to 1.4 feet (less than 30 centimeters) above tide levels in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, 60 centimeters (2 feet) above sea level on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, and 3–4 meters (10–13 feet) high in Kamchatka.

According to Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator of the National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska, the tsunami’s effects might linger for hours or perhaps more than a day.

His words, “A tsunami is not just one wave,” It’s a sequence of strong waves that lasts for a very long time. In deep water, tsunamis travel hundreds of miles per hour, which is as quickly as a jet airliner. However, they slow down and begin to pile up as they approach the coast. And that’s where the issue of flooding becomes somewhat more feasible.”

He said that certain areas would experience the effects for a longer period of time because “in this case, because of the Earth basically sending out these huge ripples of water across the ocean, they’re going to be moving back and forth for quite a while,” he added.

Data from Midway Atoll, which lies between Hawaii and Japan, showed waves of 6 feet (1.8 meters) from peak to trough, according to Hawaii Governor Josh Green. He said that it was too early to predict the size of the waves that will impact Hawaii and that they may be larger or lesser. According to him, a tsunami of such magnitude would resemble a 3-foot (90-centimeter) wave riding above waves.

“This is a longitudinal wave with great force driving through the shoreline and into land,” he said at a press conference.

According to Green, high-water vehicles were prepared to go, and Black Hawk helicopters had been engaged in case authorities needed to rescue anybody. “But please do not put yourself in harm’s way,” urged the man.

Beginning at around 11:40 p.m. local time, modest tsunami waves with a height of one to two feet (30 to 60 cm) were predicted to hit the shore, according to a Facebook post from the Oregon Department of Emergency Management. Until the caution was revoked, it advised people to avoid beaches, ports, and marinas and to stay in a secure area away from the shore.

“This is not a major tsunami, but dangerous currents and strong waves may pose a risk to those near the water,” the agency said.

A tsunami warning was also in effect for a large portion of the West Coast, which includes California, Washington state, and the Canadian province of British Columbia.

It was predicted that portions of British Columbia’s Vancouver Island will be struck by a tsunami that is less than 30 cm (less than one foot). Waves were predicted to arrive in Tofino around 11:30 p.m. and distant Langara Island at 10:05 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the province’s emergency preparation department. “Multiple waves over time” were anticipated, according to the agency.

According to Japanese and American seismologists, the earthquake, which struck at 8:25 a.m. Japan time, had a preliminary magnitude of 8.0. Its strength was subsequently revised by the U.S. Geological Survey to 8.8 magnitude and 20.7 kilometers (13 miles) in depth.

The center of the earthquake was around 119 kilometers (74 miles) east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a 180,000-person city on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. There were many aftershocks with magnitudes as high as 6.9.

According to Alexander Ovsyannikov, mayor of Severokurilsk, tsunami waves swamped the city’s harbor, sweeping fishing boats out to sea. No significant damage was noted, he said.

Following the floods, officials checked the electrical network and switched off the power supply.

Since the 9.0 magnitude earthquake off northeastern Japan in March 2011, which resulted in a large tsunami and triggered meltdowns at a nuclear power plant, the earthquake seemed to be the strongest anywhere in the globe. There have only ever been a couple more powerful earthquakes recorded worldwide.

Ferries, railroads, and airports in the impacted region suspended or postponed certain operations as a result of the tsunami threat, which caused transportation disruptions throughout Japan.

The Japan Meteorological Agency reports that a 60-centimeter (2-foot) tsunami was reported in Kuji port in Iwate and Hamanaka town in Hokkaido. Five hours after the earthquake, smaller waves of 20 centimeters (8 inches) were observed in Tokyo Bay, among other places.

Dozens of inhabitants in Matsushima, a seaside town in northern Japan, sought shelter at an evacuation center with an air conditioner running and water bottles being supplied. One lady told NHK that after learning from the 2011 tsunami, she visited the facility without hesitation.

Yoshimasa Hayashi, the chief cabinet secretary for Japan, cautioned evacuees that the tsunami waves may still be high by the end of the day, making it impossible for them to go back home.

No anomalies were recorded by nuclear power reactors in Japan. About 4,000 personnel are seeking refuge on higher ground at the plant complex while being monitored remotely to guarantee their safety, according to the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi facility, which was devastated by the 2011 tsunami.

Authorities in the Philippines warned residents to avoid the beach and coastal regions. Teresito Bacolcol of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology told The Associated Press, “These waves may not be the biggest, but they can last for hours and put swimmers in danger.”

The Mexican navy issued a warning, stating that tsunami waves might move down the Pacific coast to Chiapas state at around 07:15 a.m. local time. The waves are expected to begin hitting the northern shore at Ensenada, near California, at approximately 02:22 a.m. Wednesday local time.

Authorities in the South Pacific island country of New Zealand issued warnings about “strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges” throughout all of its shores. People should avoid the water, beaches, ports, marinas, rivers, and estuaries, according to the emergency management organization.

In the Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga, people were advised to avoid the coasts until any wave surges passed late Wednesday.

A number of small, low-lying Pacific island chains are among the most vulnerable in the world to tsunamis and sea level rise brought on by climate change.

Five strong earthquakes, the greatest of which had a magnitude of 7.4, occurred in the sea close to Kamchatka earlier in July. The biggest earthquake was located 144 kilometers (89 miles) east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and had a depth of 20 kilometers.