Russia’sKamchatka Peninsula was rocked by a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake onTuesday, July 29, sparking fears of a destructive tsunami across the Pacific.But the waves that reached Hawaii and the US West Coast were far smaller thanexpected and caused no damage.

Tsunami warnings prompted gridlocked traffic as people tried to reach higher elevations in Hawaii, but the threat level was later downgraded.

One of this century’s most powerful earthquakes struck off the coast of Russia and generated tsunami warnings and advisories for a broad section of the Pacific, including Alaska, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast and as far south as New Zealand.

The earthquake near the east coast of the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia on 30 July 2025 generated tsunami waves that have reached Hawaii and coastal areas of the US mainland.

Hawaii officials say the timing of the tsunami warning and evacuation orders following this week's massive earthquake off Russia helped make for severe traffic congestion in some areas

Japan's weather office on Thursday lifted a tsunami advisory imposed a day earlier after Russia's Far East was rocked by one of the strongest earthquakes on record.