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Tsunami alerts in U.S. after 8.8 earthquake off Russia
FOX Weather's Steve Bender joins LiveNOW's Andrew Craft with the latest on the 8.8 earthquake off Russia and the tsunami alerts in the U.S.
A tsunami sent waves into Russia, Japan, Hawaii, and the West Coast of the United States after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit the coast of the Russian Far East early Wednesday morning.
Russian officials on the Kamchatka Peninsula and Kuril Islands canceled their tsunami warnings but told the Associated Press that the risk of aftershocks and waves.
Location of Wednesday's Magnitude 8.8 earthquake off the coast of Russia.
RELATED: Tsunami activity reported in California after 8.8 magnitude earthquake hits Russia
While Wednesday's earthquake is one of the strongest on record to date, here are some other powerful quakes in history that were measured by the U.S. Geological Survey.
10 largest earthquakes ever recorded
1. Biobío, Chile
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that a 9.5 magnitude earthquake, known as Valdivia earthquake or Great Chilean earthquake, hit a central region of Chile in 1960. At the time, this was the largest ever recorded temblor resulting in over 1,600 deaths and thousands of people being injured.
File: June 5, 1960 view of the remains of Corral Harbour, in the province of Valdivia, Chile, after the earthquake and the tidal waves that struck the area 22 May 1960. (AFP via Getty Images)
2. Alaska
A 9.2 magnitude earthquake struck Alaska’s Prince William Sound, lasting nearly 5 minutes in 1962. More than 130 people were killed in the largest recorded earthquake in the U.S. and subsequent tsunami. Landslides and huge waves caused severe flooding.
3. Sumatra, Indonesia
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami slammed Southeast and South Asia and East Africa in 2004, killing 230,000 people. Indonesia recorded over 167,000 deaths as entire communities were devastated.
4. Tohoku, Japan
In 2011, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake hit the coast of northeastern Japan, triggering a tsunami that smashed into the Fukushima nuclear plant. It knocked out power and cooling systems and resulted in meltdowns in three reactors. The Associated Press noted that over 18,000 people were killed in the earthquake and tsunami.
5. Kamchatka, Russia
A magnitude 9.0 earthquake caused severe damage in 1952, but no reported deaths despite a tsunami that hit Hawaii with 30-foot waves.
6. Biobío, Chile
In 2010, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit central Chile, shaking the capital briefly and setting off a tsunami. More than 500 people were killed in the natural disaster.
7. Esmeraldas, Ecuador
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that an 8.8 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami killed about 1,500 people in 1906. The impact of the quake was felt for miles along the Central American coast and in San Francisco and Japan.
8. Alaska
In 1965, an 8.7 earthquake hit Alaska’s Rat Islands, resulting in a 35-foot-high tsunami. There was minor damage to the area, including cracks in buildings.
9. Tibet
In 1950, roughly 780 people were killed when a magnitude 8.6 earthquake struck. Villages were destroyed, and there were also major landslides that jammed the Subansiri River in India. When the water broke through, causing a deadly 23-foot wave.
10. Sumatra, Indonesia
In 2012, a powerful 8.6 magnitude earthquake struck off the west coast of northern Sumatra in Indonesia. Though the quake caused slight damage, it increased pressure on a fault that was the source of the powerful 2004 tsunami.
A screen grab from a video shows rescuers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia inspecting a damaged building after magnitude 8.8 earthquake hits Kamchatka Peninsula on July 30, 2025 in, Russia. (Photo by Emergency Situations of Russia / …
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Associated Press. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.