The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has officially lifted its tsunami advisory hours after a powerful earthquake struck Russia’s eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday morning.
In a statement issued at 4:40 p.m., PHIVOLCS confirmed that “no significant sea level disturbances nor destructive tsunami waves have been recorded since the 7:25 a.m. earthquake up until this cancellation.” The agency assured the public that any earlier threats have subsided and declared all previous safety recommendations withdrawn.
The 8.8 magnitude quake prompted a wave of tsunami advisories across the Pacific, including the Philippines, where PHIVOLCS initially warned that several coastal areas facing the Pacific Ocean could experience sea level changes of less than one meter. Waves were expected to arrive between 1:20 p.m. and 2:40 p.m., triggering swift preventive measures.
Several coastal provinces were advised to keep away from beaches, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government ordered preemptive evacuations in vulnerable communities. In Davao, some classes were suspended and port operations temporarily halted. The Philippine Coast Guard also placed all regional districts on high alert.
Globally, the impact of the quake was felt across the Pacific. In Russia, tsunami waves flooded parts of the port town of Severo-Kurilsk, damaging infrastructure and injuring residents. Japan issued evacuations along its eastern coast, still haunted by the devastating 2011 tsunami. In Hawaii and French Polynesia, residents were urged to seek higher ground as authorities activated emergency protocols.
PHIVOLCS has since assured the public that the risk to the Philippines has passed and normal activities in coastal areas may resume.
