Tsunami Threat Eases Across Pacific After Earthquake, Chile Remains on High Alert

Tsunami warnings across most of the Pacific Ocean are being canceled after a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula early on Wednesday.

The danger has largely passed for places like Japan and the U.S. West Coast, but some South American countries, like Chile, remained on high alert and continued coastal evacuations, reported AP. 

The earthquake, one of the strongest recorded in recent history, hit near the Kamchatka Peninsula, a remote area in Russia's far east. AP reported that the shaking was so intense that the regional governor, Vladimir Solodov, said it was the most powerful in decades and confirmed a kindergarten building had been damaged.

The quake also triggered a lava flow from the nearby Klyuchevskaya Sopka volcano.

Reportedly, near the earthquake's center, the Russian fishing port of Severo-Kurilsk was hit by tsunami waves as high as 6 meters (about 20 feet), which caused flooding and power outages.

A state of emergency was declared, though authorities reported only minor injuries during evacuations.

The tsunami spread across the vast Pacific Ocean, putting numerous countries on notice. In Japan, a woman died after falling during an evacuation, and several others were treated for injuries or heatstroke while sheltering from the threat.

The tsunami waves that reached Japan were small, around one foot high, reported AP. 

In the United States, waves up to 4 feet were recorded in Crescent City, California, a coastal town with a history of being hit by tsunamis. A boat dock was damaged, but there was no major flooding.

 In Hawaii, the warning sent many people rushing to evacuate, causing major traffic jams in Honolulu as residents and tourists tried to get to higher ground. Officials later noted that the long lead time may have contributed to the gridlock.