Published July 29, 2025 5:30pm PDT
The Brief
-
- An 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia.
- A tsunami watch was issued for the coast of California and the entire state of Hawaii.
- Parts of Alaska are under a tsunami advisory.
A massive 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck near Russia, triggering a tsunami watch for California as well as warnings for Hawaii and Alaska.
What we know:
The earthquake hit 136 km southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia at around 4:25 p.m. PST.
It was originally recorded as an 8.0 magnitude, but then upgraded to 8.7.
Tsunami watch in California
The earthquake prompted a tsunami watch for the entire coast of California, according to the National Tsunami Warning Center.
The center issued a list of potential start times for tsunami activity — if it occurs at all — across the state, including roughly 1:05 a.m. Wednesday for Los Angeles Harbor, 1:10 a.m. for Newport Beach and 1:15 a.m. for Oceanside and La Jolla.
“Watch areas may be upgraded to a warning or advisory status, or canceled, based on new information,” according to a statement from the center.
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services stated that it is “monitoring any potential impacts to the state” from the quake and tsunami watch.
Threats in Hawaii and Alaska
A tsunami watch that was issued for the entire state of Hawaii at 1:33 pm HST was eventually upgraded to a warning.
“Based on all available data a tsunami may have been generated by this earthquake that could be destructive on coastal areas even far from the epicenter. an investigation is underway to determine if there is a tsunami threat to Hawaii. If tsunami waves impact Hawaii, the estimated earliest arrival of the first tsunami wave is 0717 p.m. HST Tue 29, July 2025,” an alert from Maui County read.
A Tsunami Advisory is in effect for Alaska’s Aleutian Islands meaning some waves are likely, but an advisory is a step down from a Tsunami Warning. Waves are expected to reach Shemya at 4:46 p.m. Alaska Daylight time, and 5:46 p.m. AKDT in Adak.
A watch is issued as advance notice to areas that could potentially be impacted by a tsunami “at a later time.”
The Source: Information for this story came from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Weather Service, Maui County, and FOX Weather.
