(Reuters) – Eyewitness footage shot on Wednesday captured the moment of a tsunami hitting a Russian town, following a magnitude 8.8 earthquake off the country’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.
The videos showed buildings and other debris in the town of Severo-Kurilsk being washed inland by the strong waves and the entire shoreline inundated.
Reuters was able to confirm the location by buildings, water body and terrain which match with satellite images. Reuters was able to confirm the date by the corroborating local reports and official statements.
The large quake has prompted warnings and evacuations stretching across the Pacific Ocean. Several people were injured in the remote Russian region, while much of Japan's eastern seaboard - devastated by a powerful earthquake and tsunami in 2011 - was ordered to evacuate.
The US Geological Survey said the earthquake was shallow at a depth of 19.3 km (12 miles), and was centred 119 km (74 miles) east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of 165,000. It revised the magnitude up from 8.0 earlier, and reported a strong aftershock of magnitude 6.9 soon after.
LARGE WAVES HIT HOKKAIDO COASTLINE
Huge waves were seen reaching the coastline of Hokkaido in Japan.
Much of Japan's eastern seaboard — devastated by a powerful earthquake and tsunami in 2011 — was ordered to evacuate.
Japan's weather agency upgraded its warning, saying it expected tsunami waves of up to 3 metres (10 feet) to reach large areas of its coast.
Tsunami alarms sounded in coastal towns across Japan's Pacific coast with authorities urging people to seek higher ground.
Meanwhile, eyewitness footage shot on Wednesday showed an evacuation warning being issued in the coastal city of Atami.
“Please use the emergency stairs to climb above the 4th floor. Anyone already on the 4th floor or above should remain where they are,” an automated voice could be heard saying in the video which showed calm waters in Atami.
Reuters was able to confirm the location of the video as buildings, the coastline and road layout match the satellite and street view images. Reuters was able to confirm the date from the metadata of the original file.
NO SIGN OF MAJOR WAVE SINCE TSUNAMI ALERT, GOVERNOR SAYS
Hawaiian authorities have seen no sign of a significant wave since beginning preparations for a tsunami after a powerful earthquake struck off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, governor Josh Green said late on Tuesday.
Hawaii's Emergency Management Agency said all commercial harbours had been closed and flights cancelled in and out of the island of Maui, but there were no plans to shut off power.
In Hawaii, coastal residents were told to get to high ground or the fourth floor or above of buildings, and the US Coast Guard ordered ships out of harbours as the tsunami approached.
Eaelier, tsunami warnings were issued in the US after the earthquake struck off Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.
"Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii," US President Donald Trump said in a social media post.
Governor Josh Green announced a tsunami warning was in effect for Hawaii and he had signed an emergency declaration.
The Honolulu Department of Emergency Management called for the evacuation of some coastal areas in Hawaii due to the threat of tsunami waves. Residents of low-lying areas were also urged to either move to higher ground or to the fourth floor of a building.
Kamchatka and Russia's Far East sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a geologically active region that is prone to major earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.