Evacuations ordered in Chile, Ecuador and Peru as tsunami waves hit coastlines; U.S. and Japan scale down warnings. A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on July 30, setting off tsunami alerts across the Pacific and prompting evacuations in parts of South America.
The quake among the six strongest ever recorded, was centered just 78 miles from the regional capital Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Violent shaking shook the city with Kamchatka’s governor calling it the most intense in decades.
Soon after the tremor, 19-foot tsunami waves surged into the port town of Severo-Kurilsk, sweeping away shipping containers, boats, and infrastructure. Remarkably, even as buildings trembled, doctors at a local cancer center continued surgery, later earning praise for their bravery.
The earthquake also triggered fresh eruptions from the active Klyuchevskoy volcano, sending lava down its flanks and adding to the region’s ongoing natural threats.
South American Nations on High Alert
While tsunami warnings were scaled down in the U.S., Japan, and Russia by Wednesday night, several South American countries remained on edge. Chile declared a red alert for its entire 2,600-mile coastline. President Gabriel Boric urged citizens to remain cautious: “Remember, the first wave is rarely the most dangerous.”
In Ecuador, 1.3-meter-high waves struck Baltra Island in the Galapagos, keeping emergency plans in motion. Peru shut down 65 of its 121 Pacific ports and halted fishing activities amid predictions of waves reaching up to 7.5 feet.
French Polynesia also issued alerts for 4-meter waves in the Marquesas Islands, though actual wave heights remained around 1.5 meters.
Aftershocks, Sea Swells Persist
Despite limited structural damage, over 125 aftershocks three exceeding magnitude 6.0 rattled the Pacific throughout the day. The U.S. National Weather Service warned coastal communities to remain alert, citing “unpredictable currents and abnormal ocean behavior” for at least 24 hours.
Experts say the quake occurred on a dangerous “megathrust fault,” similar to the one that caused Japan’s devastating 2011 tsunami. Caroline Orchiston of New Zealand’s University of Otago warned that strong aftershocks could continue for months and may still pose risks.
From Alaska to Australia, coastlines stayed cautious a reminder that when seismic energy erupts in Kamchatka, the ripples are felt around the world.