Tsunami waves struck Hawaii after a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s eastern coast. The large quake triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific, affecting countries from the United States to Japan.

The earthquake, which struck early on Wednesday morning, is one of the strongest ever recorded.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the earthquake hit just before 1:30 pm Hawaii Standard Time, around 78 miles southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in Russia.

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Several people have been injured in Russia, according to authorities. Japan has recorded at least one injury.

Ports on the Kamchatka Peninsula, near the quake’s epicenter in Russia, flooded as residents fled inland, and frothy, white waves washed up to the shore in northern Japan, while cars jammed streets and highways in Hawaii’s capital. –The Independent

Officials said tsunami waves as high as 6ft (1.8m) have been recorded near Hawaii. Many experts suggested that even bigger waves could hit, warning “people can drown quite easily” in a force that “could take them out.”  Evacuation orders were issued for large parts of the U.S. West Coast, with authorities ordering people to “take action now” and get away from the sea.

A tsunami wave over 5ft has also been recorded in Kahului, on Maui’s north-central shore, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Tsunami waves as high as 6ft (1.8m) from peak to trough were measured at Midway Atoll, an area between Japan and Hawaii.

The entire west coast of the U.S., as well as Guam, the Philippines, and the Northern Mariana Islands,  were alerted to signs of dangerous waves. Parts of Canada, Russia, Indonesia, and Japan were also under tsunami alerts.

Several flights were diverted or delayed, and Maui officials were shutting off water valves and wastewater facilities in coastal areas to prevent damage, while advising residents to store water and expect low or no pressure, according to the County’s Department of Water Supply.

No massive damage has occurred, and the evacuation order has been lifted.

Stay ready and prepared. Anything can happen.

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