One of the strongest earthquakes in recent years struck Russia’s Far East early Wednesday. The earthquake had a massive 8.8 magnitude and caused a tsunami in the northern Pacific Ocean. As a result, countries like Alaska, Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, and even New Zealand issued tsunami warnings and alerts.

In Hawaii, sirens rang out on Tuesday evening, and people quickly moved to safer, higher areas. Officials warned that tsunami waves could reach the Hawaiian islands by 7 p.m. local time and advised people to protect their lives and property. Meanwhile, in Japan, a small tsunami wave of 40 centimetres (about 1.3 feet) was recorded in Hokkaido. Ferry services and some train operations were stopped as a safety measure, and Sendai airport temporarily closed its runway.

In Russia, the quake hit near the Kamchatka Peninsula, about 119 kilometres from the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which has around 180,000 residents. Buildings were damaged, power went out, and mobile networks stopped working for some time. Cars were seen swaying in the streets due to the force of the quake. People in nearby areas, including the Kuril Islands, quickly moved to higher ground. Officials reported no serious injuries, although a few people did seek medical help. Local authorities said the situation was under control, but aftershocks may continue for a month.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake occurred at a depth of 20.7 kilometres (13 miles). After the main quake, several strong aftershocks followed, including one as high as 6.9 in magnitude. The earthquake caused concern all around the Pacific Ocean. In the U.S. state of Oregon, small tsunami waves of 1 to 2 feet were expected. Authorities told people to avoid beaches, harbours, and marinas. Similar warnings were issued across the U.S. West Coast, including California, Washington, and Canada’s British Columbia.

In the Philippines, authorities asked people living along the eastern coast to stay away from the water. Even though the waves were expected to be small, they could still be dangerous. In New Zealand, about 6,000 miles from the epicentre, officials warned of strong and unpredictable waves and told people to move away from beaches, harbours, and estuaries.

This earthquake was the strongest to hit Kamchatka since 1952. Experts say while the main danger has passed, people should remain alert for aftershocks and stay away from coastal areas for now. The quake is one of the most powerful in the world since Japan’s 2011 disaster, which had a 9.0 magnitude and caused a major tsunami and a nuclear plant meltdown.