A tsunami warning has been issued for much of the southern coast of Alaska and the Alaskan Peninsula following a huge 7.8 magnitude earthquake late Tuesday night local time (July 21).

The earthquake was recorded 75 miles off the town of Chignik at a depth of eight miles, the GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences added.

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The US National Tsunami Warning Center - which issues tsunami information for the continental United States and Canada - issued the following live event map just moments ago (Wednesday, July 22):

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Per Fox News, locals of coastal cities along the state have reported hearing sirens - such as the Twitter user below who shared dramatic video footage from Kodiak, Alaska.

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The Mirror reports that an alert said the level of tsunami danger is also being evaluated for other US and Canadian Pacific coasts in North America.

The warning from the official tsunami.gov website reads:

"Tsunami Warning in Effect for:

• SOUTH ALASKA AND THE ALASKA PENINSULA, Pacific coasts from Kennedy Entrance, Alaska (40 miles SW of Homer) to Unimak Pass, Alaska (80 miles NE of Unalaska).
• ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, Unimak Pass, Alaska (80 miles NE of Unalaska) to Samalga Pass, Alaska (30 miles SW of Nikolski).

Tsunami Advisory in Effect for:

• SOUTH ALASKA AND THE ALASKA PENINSULA, Pacific coasts from Cape Suckling, Alaska (75 miles SE of Cordova) to Kennedy Entrance, Alaska (40 miles SW of Homer).
• ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, Samalga Pass, Alaska (30 miles SW of Nikolski) to Amchitka Pass, Alaska (125 miles W of Adak) including the Pribilof Islands."

Other areas at risk are still being evaluated.

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The warning continues:

"Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters, hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 300km of the earthquake epicenter."

The alert read: "If you are in a tsunami warning area, evacuate inland or to higher ground above and beyond designated tsunami hazard zones or move to an upper floor of a multi-story building depending on your situation.

"Move out of the water, off the beach, and away from harbors, marinas, breakwaters, bays, and inlets.

"Be alert to and follow instructions from your local emergency officials because they may have more detailed of specific information for your location."

Other locals are now taking to social media to share footage of the evacuation sirens.

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It is still unknown if the huge earthquake has caused any injuries or damage.

If the earthquake is not downgraded, it will be one of the strongest reported for 2020.

Stay safe.

As a tsunami threatens countries along the Pacific coast, here are all the areas that could potentially be at risk.

The 8.8 magnitude quake struck near Petropavlovsk, Russia, at 11:25AM local time on Wednesday (30 July), unleashing a powerful shockwave that’s reverberating through coastal regions across multiple continents, per the Independent.

An 8.8 magnitude earthquake has triggered a tsunami. Credit: Mehmet Yaren Bozgun/Anadolu via Getty

The impact was immediately felt on the Kamchatka Peninsula, where waves of up to 13 feet (4 meters) battered the coast, damaging buildings and flooding streets, according to regional governor Vladimir Solodov.

"Today's earthquake was serious and the strongest in decades of tremors," he said.

Experts are calling this event one of the most powerful quakes in modern history — drawing comparisons to the 2011 Japan earthquake, which reached a magnitude of 9.0 and resulted in a devastating tsunami.

As fears mount over the tsunami’s reach, countries along the Pacific Rim have issued evacuation orders, advising residents to move to higher ground and stay away from coastal areas.

Among the nations under threat are Japan, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Chile, Mexico, New Zealand, and Peru — all warned to prepare for a worst-case scenario, per CNN.

Even parts of the United States, including California, Alaska, and Hawaii, are on high alert. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued statements urging residents in affected regions to take the situation seriously.

People have been urged to evacuate around the world. Credit: David Mareuil/Anadolu via Getty

Former President Donald Trump also addressed the nation on social media, stating: "Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii.

"A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States. Japan is also in the way. Please visit tsunami.gov for the latest information. STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!"

The National Weather Service echoed Trump’s concern, particularly for those in Hawaii. “A series of powerful waves and strong currents may impact coasts around you,” the service said in a statement.

“You are in danger. Get away from coastal waters. Move to high ground or inland now. Keep away from the coast until local officials say it is safe to return.”

So far, the most significant wave heights have varied widely depending on location. In Hawaii, a wave measuring over 5 feet (1.52 meters) was recorded at Kahulu on Maui’s north-central shore.

In Japan, the northern coast has seen 40cm surges, with 60cm waves reported in Hamanaka and the Kuji port in Iwate. Alaska has also recorded moderate activity, with waves below 30 centimeters observed in Amchitka and Adak.

A tsunami advisory has also been issued for parts of California. The National Weather Service’s Los Angeles office posted on X: “A TSUNAMI WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT for coastal San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties. An earthquake 8.7 80 miles southeast of Petropavlovsk Kamchatka, Russia. Stay tuned for updates.”

Featured image credit: David Mareuil/Anadolu via Getty

Japan has been thrown into a national emergency after a powerful 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the country’s eastern coast, triggering urgent tsunami warnings. The quake hit at around 5PM local time near the Sanriku coast, with Japan’s meteorological agency confirming it occurred at a depth of roughly 10km and about 100km offshore.

Authorities quickly issued evacuation alerts for coastal regions, with residents in 11 towns in Iwate prefecture told to leave immediately. Prime Minister Sanae Takichi confirmed a task force has been established to respond to the developing situation and repeated calls for people in high-risk areas to move to safety.

Warnings have continued to escalate in the hours since the quake, as officials assess the possible damage from incoming waves. The Japan Meteorological Agency has urged people to stay away from coastlines and rivers and seek higher ground as a precaution.

Experts warn of potential destruction

Oceanography expert Dr Simon Boxal shared insight into what could unfold, telling Sky News: "You'd expect the main waves to be hitting, probably, given the water depth, about an hour later. So, we'd expect those waves to be hitting pretty soon."

He added: "This has the potential to create a moderate tsunami. When I say 'moderate', you've got to put this into perspective with the huge tsunami back in 2011, which killed over 20,000 people.

"That created waves that were over 10 meters high, which basically breached all of the tsunami defence systems that Japan has very effectively put across their coastline.

"We're now looking at waves of between 30cm and 80cm. That still could cause some damage. Ships have left the ports, because once you get away from the shore you're safe.

"We'll wait to see if we get any bigger waves. There's talk of waves up to three metres and that will cause some destruction, particularly in these low-lying areas.

"This is an important area for tourism as well, you've got a lot of people along that coastline."

Evacuations and rising wave fears

Reports from NHK confirm evacuations are underway, while data cited by The Independent suggests waves as high as 80cm have already been detected, with the possibility they could grow stronger.

The regions expected to be hit hardest include the central Pacific coast of Hokkaido, the Aomori prefecture coastline, and Iwate prefecture. Officials have also issued warnings about possible landslides and further seismic activity in the coming days, according to the BBC.

Takichi has confirmed that "human and material damage" has already been reported, while tremors strong enough to affect high-rise buildings have been felt in the worst-hit areas.

Japan’s history with devastating quakes

Japan’s location along the ‘Ring of Fire’ makes it one of the most earthquake-prone nations on Earth. The country has previously faced severe destruction, most notably in 2011 when a 9-magnitude quake triggered tsunami waves reaching up to 40 meters.

That disaster left nearly 20,000 people dead or missing and remains the most severe earthquake event in Japan’s history. Current warnings are being measured against that benchmark as authorities monitor whether the situation could escalate further.

Featured image credit: Anadolu / Getty

UPDATE: A tsunami warning has been lifted following a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that rocked northeastern Japan on Saturday morning (March 20).

As reported by The Independent, the earthquake struck off the coast of the Miyagi prefecture (located 220 miles north of Tokyo on the east coast of Honshu island) at 06:26PM local time, or 09:26AM GMT.

The Japan Meteorological Agency later confirmed that the quake had a magnitude of 7.2 at a depth of 60km.

In response, Japan public broadcaster NHK has issued a warning to residents that a one-meter-high tsunami could be expected to hit the Miyagi Prefecture, the Mirror reports.

Fortunately, there are currently no reports of damage or injuries.

The warning reportedly stated: "It is dangerous in the sea or near the coast. Those who are in the sea should immediately get out of the sea and leave the coast."

Per Sky News, local shop worker Shizue Onodera told NHK: "It was a really bad, long shaking from side-to-side. It was even longer than the quake last month, but at least the building here is all right.

"Lots of bottles smashed on the floor," she added.

The earthquake could also reportedly be felt in Tokyo - approximately 400km south of the epicenter.

The quake comes 10 years after the Miyagi prefecture was heavily damaged by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

Thankfully, Tokyo Electric Power has reported that it has found no irregularities at its Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant - which had been severely damaged by the March 2011 quake. Additionally, a spokesperson also confirmed that there were no irregularities at the nearby Daini facility as well.

And the nuclear regulator confirmed no irregularities at Tohoku Electric Power Co’s Onagawa nuclear plant.

The devastating 2011 seismic event a decade ago resulted in caused nuclear meltdowns and mass evacuations.

The 2011 disaster also resulted in 20,000 deaths.

Featured image credit:  Duy Phuong Nguyen / Alamy

After the tumultuous year that was 2017, I think we were all hoping that mother nature might take a respite from her barrage of natural attacks on civilization. Last year brought with it a series of storms and hurricanes that wraught havoc in America and surrounding countries. However, despite Trump believing that climate change is not a real threat to the world, it looks like 2018 is going to continue in a similar fashion. This morning, large parts of Alaska and the Alaskan Peninsula have been warned about a potential tsunami after a magnitude 7.9 earthquake shook Alaska's Kodiak Island. The earthquake, which is one of the strongest in US history, was recorded early on Tuesday morning and led to the entire US west coast being placed under close observation temporarily. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/NWS_NTWC/status/955761737223016449]] Numerous warnings were sent out, with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre saying: "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 epicentre." The US National Weather Service also sent a message directly to mobile phones in Alaska, warning: "Emergency Alert. Tsunami danger on the coast. Go to high ground or move inland." The earthquake was felt hundreds of miles away in Alaska's largest city, Anchorage. Local resident Emily Carlson revealed how she felt the 'slow groan' of the tremor for around 30 seconds, but said that the city wasn't under threat. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/kernswebdevelop/status/955755992599465985]] "People are generally trying to stay very calm. I think people are worried and I've heard a lot of people heading to higher ground, but we're still monitoring it on social media. In the middle of the night, not everybody is by their phone." "Where we are we are not in tsunami danger. Kodiak Island is where the earthquake is closest to and I've seen on social media people are evacuating and heading to the high school. "Earthquakes to me are the scariest natural disaster that you could imagine because with earthquakes come tsunamis. But we live in Alaska so we hear about earthquakes all the time so while people are worried, it's very measured, they're calm, and they're just waiting to see what happens." Officials on Kodiak have ordered residents to evacuate their homes if they live in low-lying areas. According to data from the US Geological Survey, the quake struck 256km southeast of Chiniak at a depth of 10km. [[facebookwidget||https://www.facebook.com/KodiakPD/posts/1850213058345162]] The shallow depth of the quake is what led to the tsunami warning, but the warning has now been called off for the rest of the US west coast. However, residents of Alaska are still on standby with the Kodiak Police Department issuing a statement imploring residents to stay on high ground until further notice and advising them to shelter at the city's high school or local library. While it doesn't look like the Tsunami isn't going to be anywhere near as disastrous as first feared, it does serve as a timely reminder of the threat of natural disasters - something which is only going to increase with time.