World’s biggest earthquake in 14 years sparks Pacific-wide tsunami fears

Authorities in California are currently evaluating the threat, but have warned a tsunami could arrive as early as 12.15am local time.

‘Flooding of coastal regions is possible,’ authorities warned.

The Watch alert includes all coastal regions in the Bay Area and Central Coast, including San Francisco and San Pablo bays.

The Japan National Tourism Organization has started rolling out urgent warnings for regions which are at risk of 3 meter tsunami waves within hours.

The impacted regions are:

– coastal regions of Wakayama Prefecture

– coastal regions of Southern Part of Mie Prefecture

– coastal regions of Pacific Coast of Aichi Prefecture

– coastal regions of Shizuoka Prefecture

– coastal regions of Sagami Bay and Miura Peninsula

– coastal regions of Ogasawara Islands

– coastal regions of Izu Islands

– coastal regions of Uchibo Area, Chiba Prefecture

– coastal regions of Kujukuri and Sotobo Area, Chiba Prefecture

– coastal regions of Ibaraki Prefecture

– coastal regions of Fukushima Prefecture

– coastal regions of Miyagi Prefecture

– coastal regions of Iwate Prefecture

– coastal regions of Pacific Coast of Aomori Prefecture

– coastal regions of Western part of Pacific Coast of Hokkaido

– coastal regions of Central part of Pacific Coast of Hokkaido

– coastal regions of Eastern part of Pacific Coast of Hokkaido

Oahu Emergency Management has issued an urgent warning for residents to ‘take action’ now ahead of expected ‘destructive tsunami waves.’

People within evacuation areas on the island are uregd to seek higher ground or take shelter on the 4th floor or above of a building at least 10 stories high.

Russia’s Kamchatka’s Pensinsula has been placed under tsunami warning with residents urged to stay clear of the coastline.

A tsunami wave up to four meters tall has already been recorded in the region, authorities revealed.

Meanwhile, the Pacific coast of Japan is under a similar warning with fears that waves of up to 1 meter will reach the coast between 10am and 11am.

Similarly, residents have been warned to stay away from the coastline.

Authorities at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center have warned that ‘a tsunami may have been generated by this earthquake that could be destructive’ to coastal areas.

It also warned that ‘waves reaching more than three meters above the tide level [or about 10 feet] are possible along some coasts of Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.’

‘Prepare to evacuate vertically if warnings are issued,’ meteorologist Matthew Capucci warned.

Preliminary data from the US Geological Survey shows the quake reached a magnitude of 8.7 and struck about 84 miles east-southeast of Kamchatska at around 7.24pm EST.

It is the largest earthquake to hit since 2011, when a 9.1 megaquake hit northeast Japan.