Massive tsunami waves generated by the powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Kamchatka have reached the shores of California, the U.S. National Weather Service confirmed via its official X account.
According to the statement, the tsunami is currently moving along the coastline near Arena Cove beach in California. The agency is continuing to monitor the phenomenon closely.
The earthquake struck the Pacific Ocean near Kamchatka on the morning of July 30. Initial reports estimated a magnitude of 7.5, later revised to 8.8, making it the strongest seismic event in the region since 1952. Tremors were felt across dozens of populated areas in Russia’s Far East.
Russian Scientists Report Towering Waves on Kamchatka and Kurils
According to the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology at the Russian Academy of Sciences, the tsunami’s height reached an extraordinary 10 to 15 meters in certain coastal areas of Kamchatka.
"Based on our modeling results, wave heights along parts of Kamchatka’s shoreline may have reached 10 to 15 meters,"
Using numerical simulations, Russian specialists performed rapid assessments of the tsunami's development across the Pacific Ocean. The largest waves occurred near the earthquake’s epicenter, particularly on the southeastern coast of Kamchatka and the Northern Kuril Islands.
"According to eyewitness reports, wave heights in several locations in Kamchatka and near the town of Severo-Kurilsk exceeded six meters,"
The series of tsunami waves followed the early morning quake, which stunned residents and caused alerts to be issued across Russia’s eastern seaboard and as far away as Japan and the United States. No casualties have been reported at this stage, but coastal monitoring continues.
