Tsunami over 3m high hits Russian Pacific town

sóng thần - Ảnh 1. — A still image from a video shows the town of Severo-Kurilsk on Paramushir Island, part of Russia's northern Kuril Islands, affected by the tsunami - Photo: AFP

Tsunami over 3m high hits Russian Pacific town

Ria Novosti news agency quoted rescue forces as saying that the tsunami that hit the town of Severo-Kurilsk, on Russia's Pacific coast, exceeded 3 meters, with the highest wave reaching 5 meters.

The town's port area and a seafood processing plant were flooded after four consecutive waves, following an 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia's Far East on the morning of July 30, the news agency said.

Authorities have declared a state of emergency in the affected areas.

Dozens of sea lions panicked and fled from the tsunami on Russia's Antsiferov Island - Photo: RT

Japan Meteorological Agency warns of prolonged tsunami risk

Masashi Kiyomoto, an official at the Japan Meteorological Agency, warned that the risk from high tsunami waves could last for at least another day, according to NHK television.

Mr Kiyomoto urged people in coastal and riverine areas to evacuate to higher ground or to safety, as “the tsunami is still ongoing”.

He stressed that the tsunami phenomenon can last for many hours, even dozens of hours after the earthquake.

People are advised to remain vigilant, especially in case the tsunami coincides with high tide, causing sea levels to exceed normal levels.

Thousands of birds fly away from Newport Beach, California amid tsunami warning - Video: X/@TheInsiderPaper

The first tsunamis hit California

CNN reported that the state of California (USA) has begun to record the first tsunamis, with rising sea levels in Crescent City, in the northern part of the state, bordering Oregon.

According to the US National Weather Service (NWS), a wave higher than 30cm was recorded and more waves are forecast to continue to fall in the coming time.

Crescent City is part of a roughly 100-mile (160-kilometer) stretch of northern California's coast that is currently under a tsunami warning, the highest level in the warning system.

The NWS said the area has unique seafloor topography that can “converge wave energy,” making it more vulnerable to tsunamis.

The rest of the US West Coast is currently under a tsunami advisory, which is a lower level of warning.

sóng thần - Ảnh 2. — A still image from a video released by the Geophysics Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences on July 30 shows a tsunami hitting the town of Severo-Kurilsk, north of the Kuril Islands in Russia - Photo: AFP

Tsunami over 1.5m high appeared in Maui, Hawaii

Tsunami waves began hitting Hawaii after a powerful earthquake off the coast of Russia caused sea levels in many areas to rise suddenly.

CNN reported that a tsunami wave higher than 1.5 meters was recorded in the Kahului area, located on the north coast, central Maui island (Hawaii), according to data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

sóng thần - Ảnh 3. — This photo provided by the US Geological Survey on July 30 shows the epicenter of the 8.7-magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Russia's Far East - Photo: AFP

Hawaii Governor Josh Green said that so far, officials have not detected any large waves since deploying tsunami response measures, following a magnitude 8.8 earthquake off the Kamchatka Peninsula (Russia).

Water quickly rose, flooding the streets in Hilo, Hawaii - Video: RT

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency also announced that all commercial ports on the island have been closed.

"At this point, we haven't seen any really serious waves, which gives us some comfort," Mr. Green said at a press conference on the evening of July 29 (local time). He added that there have been no reports of damage, and no waves have been recorded over the Big Island.

"We need at least two to three hours before we can declare it safe. But so far, everything is fine," he said. "We don't want people to be complacent. Please be patient and wait a few more hours. When the waves subside, that will be a sign that the danger has passed."

He also urged people to limit going out and not call 911 unless it is truly urgent, reserving the line for necessary situations.

"Everything is fine right now. We haven't seen any big waves. But the strong receding of the waters at Haleiwa, and the fact that some boats have run aground on rocks and dry sand, makes us cautious. These things don't happen randomly," he said, referring to the receding waters on the island of Oahu - a possible sign of an impending tsunami.

sóng thần - Ảnh 4. — Street lights illuminate part of Ala Way Harbor in Waikiki (Hawaii) on July 29 local time, after an 8.7 magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami warning - Photo: AFP

Tsunami detected along Alaska's Pacific coast

The US National Weather Service (NWS) in Anchorage, Alaska said coastal stations recorded tsunami waves along the eastern Aleutian Islands and the Pacific coast of the Alaska Peninsula.

The NWS stressed that there were no new developments, and areas under tsunami warnings or advisories - from California to Alaska - remained under alert.

Japan records 1.3m high tsunami

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced that a 1.3-meter-high tsunami hit a port in Iwate Prefecture, northern Japan, at 1:52 p.m. (local time).

A tsunami warning remains in place, with waves up to 3 metres high forecast to continue to hit along the Pacific coast, following a magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.

NHK World reported that the tsunami in Japan rose up to 80cm in Nemuro Hanasaki and 70cm in Ishinomaki port.

Wave levels in many other areas across the country continued to rise, from 20cm early this morning to 50-60cm.

Japanese officials warned that tsunami waves could be as high as 3m and warned residents that the warning could remain in place for the next 24 hours.

Huge wave heading straight towards Japan's coast on July 30 - Video: RT

US Meteorological Agency confirms tsunami has hit Hawaii

The US National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed that tsunami waves have begun to affect Hawaii, and called on people to urgently protect life and property.

"A tsunami consisting of multiple waves lasting five to 15 minutes or more each has the potential to cause severe coastal flooding. The danger may last for hours due to continued wave activity," the NWS warned.

"Tsunami waves can spread around islands, putting all coastlines at risk, regardless of direction. The waves are also accompanied by strong, unusual nearshore currents and debris, increasing the destructive power. If they coincide with high tides or large waves, the danger is even more severe," the agency stressed.

sóng thần - Ảnh 5. — Adam Jung, a resident of Honolulu (Hawaii), loaded water and other items into his car after a tsunami warning on July 29 local time - Photo: REUTERS

According to the latest data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), tsunami waves have begun to hit Hawaii , with sudden sea level rises recorded in many areas such as Kahului, Nawiliwili, Honolulu and Pearl Harbor.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said the sea level gauge at Haleiwa, Hawaii recorded a tsunami wave amplitude of 4 feet (nearly 1.22m) above normal sea level.

According to CNN on July 30, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake occurred off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula in the far east of Russia, raising a widespread tsunami warning across the Pacific Ocean.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake occurred on July 29, about 136 km east of the coastal city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

Tsunami warnings or advisories were issued in several countries and territories, including Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Hawaii, Alaska's Aleutian Islands and much of the west coast of the United States. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that coastal areas in the east of the country could experience waves as high as 3 meters.

In Hawaii, authorities are urgently deploying response measures after the US meteorological agency warned that some northern coasts of the islands could face tsunami waves up to 10 feet (about 3 meters).