A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off Russia’s Far East near Kamchatka on Saturday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center cautioned that “hazardous” waves could impact coastlines within 300 kilometers of the epicenter.
The region is no stranger to powerful seismic activity. In July, an 8.8 magnitude quake—one of the strongest ever recorded—shook the Kamchatka Peninsula, generating tsunamis up to four meters high across the Pacific. That event prompted mass evacuations, with Hawaii, Japan, and other coastal regions on high alert.
Japan ordered nearly two million people to higher ground as tsunami warnings spread rapidly. Though alerts were later scaled back, the quake revived memories of the catastrophic 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, which claimed more than 15,000 lives, fueling fears of a similar disaster.
