FIRST PLACES WE LOOK TO SEE IF THERE’S ANY DAMAGE. LET’S GO AHEAD AND CHECK IN NOW WITH HEATHER WALDMAN, WHO’S BEEN TRACKING A LOT OF THIS FOR US. YEAH. AND ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND IF MAYBE YOU’RE WATCHING THE LIVE STREAMS IN HAWAII AND THINKING, OH, THIS IS KIND OF UNDERWHELMING. REMEMBER, THERE IS HUGE UNCERTAINTY WHEN IT COMES TO TIMING AND INTENSITY FOR TSUNAMIS. REASON BEING, THE PACIFIC OCEAN IS ENORMOUS. THE ONLY WAY FOR SCIENTISTS TO KNOW WHERE THE TSUNAMI IS OR HOW BIG IT COULD BE, IS IF IT RUNS OVER A BUOY. AND THOSE ARE VERY REMOTE SPOTS THROUGHOUT THE OPEN OCEAN. SO AGAIN, FORECASTERS DOING THEIR BEST WITH THE TIMING AND THE POTENTIAL ALERTS AS FAR AS HOW BIG THESE SURGES, THESE ROUNDS OF WAVES COULD BE. SO WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THIS HERE. ALL OF THIS STARTED BY AN INITIAL EARTHQUAKE AT ABOUT 430 OUR TIME. BUT EVERY YELLOW ICON YOU SEE ON THIS MAP, THIS IS OFF THE EASTERN COAST OF RUSSIA. THAT IS AN AFTERSHOCK THAT HAS BEEN PICKED UP JUST WITHIN THE PAST FEW HOURS. AND MANY OF THOSE AFTERSHOCKS HAVE BEEN OVER FIVE IN MAGNITUDE. SO THOSE ON THEIR OWN ARE INCREDIBLY STRONG. AGAIN, WE WERE INITIALLY ANTICIPATING THOSE WAVES TO POTENTIALLY START ARRIVING ON OAHU AT 10:17 P.M. ONE OF THE AREAS THAT FORECASTERS WERE WATCHING CLOSELY WAS THE MIDWAY ISLANDS. THERE ARE ABOUT 1300 MILES TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLAND CHAINS. SO KIND OF A GOOD BELLWETHER FOR WHAT THEY COULD EXPECT TO SEE. SO THEY COULD UPDATE WHAT THOSE EXPECTATIONS ARE. BUT THIS IS JUST A GOOD VISUAL OF HOW A TSUNAMI BEHAVES, AS EDDIE MENTIONED. AND AS CHRIS MENTIONED, THIS ISN’T JUST ONE WAVE. WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING AT HERE, THE INITIAL WAVE ONCE, TWICE, THEN A BIGGER WAVE, THEN A BIGGER WAVE HERE, AND THEN SLOWLY BUT SURELY, THE WAVES, THE SURGES OF WATER GOT SMALLER AND SMALLER. SO JUST CALCULATING THIS OUT HERE, YOU CAN SEE THE WATER HEIGHT OVER TO THE SIDE, ABOUT A SIX FOOT WAVE DIFFERENCE THERE FOR THE MIDWAY ISLANDS TO THE NORTHWEST OF HAWAII. WE MENTIONED THE TSUNAMI ADVISORY. THAT’S FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA. AND REALLY THE ENTIRE CALIFORNIA COAST. THE EXCEPTION DEL NORTE THE DEL NORTE COUNTY COAST AND THE HUMBOLDT COUNTY COAST, WITH THE BIGGEST CONCERN BEING AROUND CRESCENT CITY. AS EDDIE EXPLAINED, JUST THE SHAPE OF THE COASTLINE KIND OF FUNNELS WATER IN THERE MORE EASILY. WAVE HEIGHTS COULD REACH AS MUCH AS 4.8FT ABOVE THE NORMAL TIDE LEVEL, SO CRESCENT CITY NOW HOPEFULLY PREPARING FOR THE POTENTIAL FOR THAT SURGE OF WATER. THERE IS LESS OF A CONCERN FOR THE HUMBOLDT COUNTY COAST AND EVEN LESS OF A CONCERN FOR US HERE
What's the difference between a tsunami warning and an advisory?
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Updated: 8:34 AM EDT Jul 30, 2025
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Parts of Hawaii, Alaska and the U.S. West Coast remain at risk for tsunami waves after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake – the sixth-largest in recorded history – struck Russia.Video above: How scientists track tsunami wavesTsunami waves first reached Russia's Kuril Islands and Japan's large northern island of Hokkaido, but began hitting U.S. shores early Wednesday.Get the latest updates here.The U.S. isn't the only area at risk: The Philippines, Indonesia, China, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Panama, French Polynesia’s Marquesas Islands, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Taiwan also issued tsunami advisories, warnings and watches, although some have since canceled them.Experts across the Pacific warn that the scale of waves can vary greatly in different locations and are urging the public to stay away from coastlines. Tsunami waves can also continue to impact coastlines hours after they first hit.As forecasts evolve, what's the difference between a tsunami warning, an advisory and a watch?Tsunami warningAccording to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a warning means that a tsunami is imminent. A warning means that waves that are three feet or higher are expected, and those on coasts should evacuate or seek higher ground immediately.Tsunami advisoryWith an advisory, strong currents and dangerous waves between one and three feet are near, the NOAA says. People in advisory areas should stay out of coastal waters and away from shorelines.Tsunami watchA tsunami watch means that tsunami waves are possible. People under a watch should remain alert to updates in case a level is elevated to an advisory or warning.The Associated Press and CNN contributed to this report.
Parts of Hawaii, Alaska and the U.S. West Coast remain at risk for tsunami waves after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake – the sixth-largest in recorded history – struck Russia.
Video above: How scientists track tsunami waves
Tsunami waves first reached Russia's Kuril Islands and Japan's large northern island of Hokkaido, but began hitting U.S. shores early Wednesday.
Get the latest updates here.
The U.S. isn't the only area at risk: The Philippines, Indonesia, China, Chile, Peru, Mexico, Panama, French Polynesia’s Marquesas Islands, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Taiwan also issued tsunami advisories, warnings and watches, although some have since canceled them.
Experts across the Pacific warn that the scale of waves can vary greatly in different locations and are urging the public to stay away from coastlines. Tsunami waves can also continue to impact coastlines hours after they first hit.
As forecasts evolve, what's the difference between a tsunami warning, an advisory and a watch?
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Tsunami warning
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a warning means that a tsunami is imminent. A warning means that waves that are three feet or higher are expected, and those on coasts should evacuate or seek higher ground immediately.
Tsunami advisory
With an advisory, strong currents and dangerous waves between one and three feet are near, the NOAA says. People in advisory areas should stay out of coastal waters and away from shorelines.
Tsunami watch
A tsunami watch means that tsunami waves are possible. People under a watch should remain alert to updates in case a level is elevated to an advisory or warning.
The Associated Press and CNN contributed to this report.
