A sailboat cruises past the San Diego skyline in San Diego Harbor on Jul. 28. 2015.
San Diego, California – A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula triggered tsunami alerts across the Pacific on Tuesday, prompting a tsunami advisory for the entire California coastline, including San Diego County. The advisory was later lifted before dawn, with tsunami waves reaching about one foot.
The quake struck at 4:25 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time and was followed by multiple strong aftershocks, including 6.9 and 6.3 magnitude events. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the epicenter roughly 80 miles southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, at a depth of about 11 miles. The quake was one of the most powerful recorded in recent years.
The National Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a watch that was later upgraded to an advisory, with projected wave arrival times ranging from 12:50 a.m. in Santa Barbara to 1:15 a.m. in La Jolla. The first tsunami activity was observed off La Jolla’s coast just after 2 a.m., but according to the National Weather Service, wave activity remained minimal, and local tide gauges showed little cause for concern before the advisory was canceled around 5:30 a.m.
Despite no evacuation orders being issued, meteorologists and emergency officials urged caution throughout the night. Tsunami waves were estimated to be about one foot in height, but the advisory warned of potentially dangerous currents in harbors and along the shoreline. Areas north of Ventura County remained under advisory conditions into Wednesday morning.
San Diego’s harbors remained largely unaffected. At Seaforth Landing on Tuesday night, business continued as usual. Voyager captain Hale Abeles noted that being out on the water can be safer than being dockside during such events. “We’re not too worried about it,” he said.
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services confirmed it was actively monitoring the situation, though no damage was reported across Southern California. Farther west, Hawaii and parts of Alaska saw more serious alerts and limited evacuations, while beaches and piers in Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, and Laguna Beach were temporarily closed.
Though the immediate danger in San Diego passed without incident, local officials encouraged residents in coastal areas to remain vigilant. Strong currents and unusual wave patterns may still persist in the aftermath of the seismic activity across the Pacific.
