8.8 magnitude earthquake latest: Volcano erupts in Russia, tsunami waves reach California
A massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's Pacific coast, triggering tsunami warnings and evacuations of coastal areas in Hawaii and alerts along the United States' West Coast.
The intense quake -- about 85 miles off the east coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula -- was one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded, and the world's largest since 2011.
US impact
In the U.S., initial tsunami waves washed ashore on Hawaii's island of Oahu, sending people scrambling to evacuate.
Residents were urged to leave beaches and low-lying areas for higher ground and to take shelter on at least the fourth floor of a building. Sirens sounded across the Hawaiian islands 10 minutes after each hour for the three hours leading up to the expected impact as a part of a statewide warning system.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green told reporters early Wednesday that the state had "not seen a wave of consequence," calling it a "great relief."
Other parts of the Pacific U.S. -- coastal areas of Alaska, Oregon, Washington and California -- were also placed under tsunami advisories that have since been lifted.
Tsunami waves were recorded in Monterey, California, and San Francisco overnight, but none caused significant issues.
In California, tsunami advisories were in effect in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties as well as Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
The U.S. territories of Guam and American Samoa were also put under tsunami advisories that have since been lifted.
All tsunami warnings have since been discontinued in the U.S. Crescent City, which is along the coast by the California/Oregon border, was the final U.S. location to discontinue its tsunami warning on Wednesday morning. Officials there said wave activity peaked at about 3.5 feet and there were no reports of any injuries.
The quake also impacted travel; Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines resumed flights on Wednesday morning after a pause due to the tsunami warnings.
Tsunami warnings and alerts around the world
In Russia, a camera captured the eruption of the Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano -- the highest mountain in the region -- sending hot lava down its western slope.
The quake led to a tsunami warning for all of northern Japan, forcing more than 2 million people to evacuate.
Japan's meteorological agency warned that a tsunami about 3 feet high was expected to reach Hokkaido. The Japan Meteorological Agency later revised tsunami warnings to lower level advisories, but said people should still exercise caution.
Elsewhere in the Pacific region, French Polynesia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, New Caledonia, the Cook Islands, Nauru, Australia and the Philippines issued various levels of tsunami alerts, plus warnings of expected strong currents and possible flooding, that have since expired.
In Central and South America, tsunami warnings or watches were put in place Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Colombia.
ABC News' William Gretsky, Anthony Trotter, Mireya Villarreal, Tanya Stukalova, Clark Bentson and Jessica Gorman contributed to this report.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct a reference to USGS data. The 8.8 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday is among the 10 strongest since 1900, according to the USGS.
