A tsunami advisory was issued late Tuesday for portions of coastal British Columbia after one of the most powerful earthquakes in recent history struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia.
Emergency Management BC said tsunami waves were anticipated to begin arriving at Langara Island around 10:05 p.m. PT, with Tofino expected to see wave activity by approximately 11:30 p.m. The forecast indicates that waves along the coast are expected to be under 30 centimetres, with “multiple waves over time” possible.
The magnitude 8.7 quake occurred just before 4:25 p.m. local time Tuesday, about 136 kilometres southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. If confirmed, it would rank among the ten strongest earthquakes recorded globally since 1900, and the most powerful since Japan’s devastating Tohoku quake in 2011, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A tsunami advisory from Emergency Info BC was issued for several coastal zones, including the North Coast and Haida Gwaii, the Central Coast and northeastern Vancouver Island (including Kitimat, Bella Coola and Port Hardy), and the outer west coast of Vancouver Island from Cape Scott to Port Renfrew. The Juan de Fuca Strait, spanning from the Jordan River area to Greater Victoria, including the Saanich Peninsula, is also covered under the advisory.
However, the advisory does not include the Strait of Georgia, the Gulf Islands, Johnstone Strait, or the Greater Vancouver area.
Local governments within the advisory zones have been urged to activate emergency response plans and consider evacuating marinas, beaches, and low-lying shoreline areas. Environment Canada issued a bulletin noting a “possibility of strong localized currents,” though it added that “no significant inundation is expected.”
Residents in coastal communities are being advised to stay away from beaches and shorelines until further notice and to remain alert for updates from emergency authorities.
The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a lower-level tsunami watch for the West Coast, before upgrading it to an advisory extending from British Columbia’s northernmost shores down through to California and as far as the Mexican border.
While the impact in Canada is expected to be minimal, authorities in Russia and Japan have reported significant effects closer to the epicentre. In Russia, local officials confirmed evacuations and damage in Kamchatka’s coastal areas, including the town of Severo-Kurilsk, where a tsunami flooded parts of the community and residents were moved to safety.
Russia’s Tass news agency reported scenes of chaos in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. “Cabinets toppled inside homes, mirrors were broken, cars swayed in the street and balconies on buildings shook noticeably,” the agency said. Many residents reportedly fled outdoors without shoes or coats.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued its own tsunami warning for northern parts of the country, forecasting waves of up to three metres on parts of the northeastern coast. In Hawaii, tsunami sirens sounded across Honolulu, where officials instructed residents to seek higher ground.
While Canada is not expected to see damaging waves, officials are reminding the public that even small tsunamis can generate powerful and unpredictable currents. “Stay away from the shoreline and stay alert for any instructions from emergency authorities,” Emergency Info BC said in its bulletin.
The earthquake’s shallow depth and proximity to populated coastal zones have prompted global attention. In tsunami-prone regions such as B.C., where historical seismic events like the 1964 Alaska quake remain in public memory, authorities say continued vigilance and preparedness remain essential.
