A magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on July 30, 2025, making it one of the six strongest quakes ever recorded .
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🧭 Summary of the Event
The earthquake occurred around 11:25 a.m. local time (Petropavlovsk‑Kamchatsky), with an epicenter roughly 120–126 km southeast of the city at a depth of about 19 km .
Tsunami waves up to 3–4 m struck parts of southern Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands, particularly Severo‑Kurilsk. Larger evacuations were ordered, but casualties remain limited to injuries and no fatalities confirmed .
Emergency measures included a state of emergency in affected districts, and an evacuation of approximately 2,700 people .
Warnings and alerts were issued across the Pacific region, including Japan, Hawaii, Alaska, and Canada. Some regions reported waves of:
3 m in Japan,
~1.7 m in Hawaii,
~60 cm in Hokkaido,
Up to 4 m flooding in Severo‑Kurilsk .
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🧠 Historical Context
This quake surpasses all recent events in the region. The previous major one was an M7.4 that struck on July 20, 2025, off the Kamchatka coast, which prompted a tsunami watch but caused minimal damage .
The most powerful earthquake recorded in modern Russian history remains the M9.0 Severo‑Kurilsk earthquake on November 5, 1952, which caused catastrophic tsunamis and over 2,300 deaths in the Kuril Islands .
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✅ Key Takeaways
Topic Details
Magnitude 8.8 (one of the top six on record)
Location ~120–126 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka
Depth ~19 km
Tsunami Impact Waves up to 4 m in local regions; minor to moderate across Pacific
Evacuations ~2,700 people evacuated; state of emergency declared
Casualties Injuries reported; no confirmed deaths so far
