Overview

• A magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off southern Kamchatka at a depth of 18.2 kilometers on July 29, marking the region’s strongest tremor since 1952.
• Tsunami waves of 3 to 4 meters flooded Severo-Kurilsk on the Kuril Islands, inundating ports and low-lying areas, prompting local evacuations.
• The Japanese Meteorological Agency evacuated more than 900,000 residents in Hokkaido and along Honshū’s Pacific coast under warnings of up to 3-meter waves.
• Agencies including the USGS, JMA, Mexico’s Semar and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center sustained alerts across Hawaii, Alaska and dozens of Pacific Rim nations.
• At least six aftershocks have rattled the region, the strongest registering at magnitude 6.9, with officials reporting several injuries but no confirmed deaths.