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Environment Editorial, July 30 (EFE).- Several countries located in the Pacific basin and Latin America activated tsunami alert protocols this Wednesday after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake was recorded in the Russian peninsula of Kamchatka. As the hours passed, the authorities of Japan, Hawaii and Kamchatka itself have been lifting the warnings, although some areas maintain precautionary measures.
According to Russian emergency services, the earthquake generated waves between 3 and 4 meters on the southeastern coast of Kamchatka, being the most intense seismic event in that region since 1952 and the eighth largest in magnitude globally. On Paramushir Island, part of the Kuriles, four waves reached the coast and flooded port areas, causing damage to infrastructure and the evacuation of approximately 2,700 people, with no casualties reported.
Subsequently, a second earthquake of magnitude 6.2 led Russian authorities to deactivate the tsunami alert. The epicenter of this tremor was located 69 kilometers deep and about 200 kilometers east of the regional capital.
In the United States, the tsunami alert remained active in Northern California, in a 64-kilometer stretch of coastline, while warnings were issued and preventive evacuations were ordered in Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam. The National Weather Service of Los Angeles confirmed the arrival of waves on the Californian coast, recorded at various monitoring points. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reduced the threat level for Hawaii, although it warned about the possibility of dangerous currents on the coasts.
In Japan, the Meteorological Agency lifted the tsunami alert for the entire Pacific coast, although it recommended that the population remain cautious and avoid coastal areas. Local authorities issued evacuation orders that affected nearly 2 million people. Rail and air traffic experienced disruptions, especially in Tokyo and Sendai airport. Waves of up to 1.3 meters were observed in Iwate, 80 centimeters in Hokkaido, and 30 centimeters in Yokohama.
In Latin America, countries like Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia activated preventive alerts. In Chile, the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service declared an alert in the regions of Atacama, Coquimbo, and Valparaíso, and recommended caution in other coastal areas. Colombia and Ecuador ordered evacuations on beaches and low-lying areas, including the Galapagos Islands.
(EFE)
