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Tsunami advisory issued for California coast after 8.8 quake off of Russia

July 30, 2025

A tsunami advisory was issued for the California coast following an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia on Tuesday afternoon, July 29.

The National Tsunami Warning Center, based in Alaska, issued a tsunami warning for parts of the Alaska Aleutian Islands and Hawaii, and an advisory — upgraded from a watch — for much of the West Coast, from British Columbia to the California-Mexico Border.

A stretch of California from Cape Mendocino in Humboldt County north to Oregon was under a more serious tsunami warning.

The earthquake occurred at 4:25 Tuesday afternoon 80 miles southwest of Petropavlovsk Kamchatka.

As the situation developed, tsunami warning sirens blared Tuesday in Honolulu and people were told to move to higher ground.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said a first tsunami wave of about 30 centimeters (about 1 foot) reached Nemuro on the eastern coast of Hokkaido.

An advisory is the second-highest level of the U.S. Tsunami Warning Center’s alert system. According to the warning center, an advisory is issued as an advance notice of strong currents and waves that could endanger people in or near the water. However, the National Weather Service said: “Areas in the advisory should not expect widespread inundation.”

The center issued a list of potential start times for tsunami activity — if it occurs at all — across the state, including roughly 1:05 a.m. Wednesday for Los Angeles Harbor, 1:10 a.m. for Newport Beach and 1:15 a.m. for Oceanside and La Jolla.

“The tsunami should arrive near 1 a.m. tonight,” the National Weather Service Los Angeles office said on social media. “If you are located in the coastal area, move off the beach & out of harbors & marinas. Do not go to the coast to watch.”

The City of Los Angeles instructed residents to immediately leave beaches, harbors and marinas at around 10 p.m. Tuesday, due to strong currents. No evacuations on land were announced. The tsunami “can cause strong currents that can be dangerous for swimmers and cause boats to detach from docks,” a city statement said.

Surges of waves could last through 10 a.m. Wednesday, NWS Los Angeles added.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said it extended patrol shifts and that its Homeless Outreach Services Team was deployed to conduct outreach and issue warnings in low-lying coastal areas.

Deputies from Marina Del Rey Sheriff’s Station will patrol the harbor in their patrol boats conducting announcements to residents living in the harbor and along the shorelines

The tsunami predicted to hit the beaches of Los Angeles and Orange counties is expected to be less than one foot, according to the National Tsunami Warning Center.

Authorities are working to determine how much water displacement was caused by the earthquake, and how large the resulting waves are, NWS meteorologist Sebastian Westerink said.

“Right now they’ve deemed it as threatening enough to issue a tsunami warning on Hawaii and the Aleutian Islands,” he said.

Westerink urged the public to make sure they are set up to receive alerts from the tsunami warning center.

“Watch areas may be upgraded to a warning or advisory status, or canceled, based on new information,” according to a statement from the Warning Center.

The Newport Beach Fire Department on social media said it was monitoring the situation and commented “At this time, there is no immediate threat to the Newport Beach coastline.”

Nevertheless, the agency shared a map showing possible flood areas and evacuation routes. Beaches were scheduled to close in Newport Beach at their usual time of 10 p.m.

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A post shared by Newport Beach Fire Department (@newportbeachfd)

Huntington Beach said beaches, harbors and piers would be temporarily closed. The city posted tsunami preparedness information here.

The city police department on social media posted a map showing tsunami evacuation routes.

Nearby, Seal Beach beaches and the pier will be closed at 10 p.m. due to the tsunami advisory, the Seal Beach Police Department announced. No evacuation warnings or orders have been issued.

All Long Beach beaches were closed, the city said on social media at around 10 p.m.

The city of Laguna Beach announced beaches would close from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services stated that it is “monitoring any potential impacts to the state” from the quake and tsunami watch.

“A tsunami is one the most powerful and destructive natural forces. It is a series of waves (not just one) caused by a large and sudden displacement of the ocean,” says a National Weather Service background statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Orange County Register

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Tsunami advisory issued for California coast after 8.8 quake off of Russia

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