Hawaiians brace for ‘wraparound’ tsunami waves after Russia earthquake

Authorities in Hawaii have issued a stark warning about the nature of a “wraparound wave” expected to hit the islands.

Waves have begun inundating parts of Hawaii as the island state was earlier warned about “wraparound” waves following a series of massive earthquakes off Russia triggered tsunami warnings.

Darkness has descended on Hawaii amid reports that several areas have seen unpredictable, strong currents but there has not yet been a significant surge crossing the coastline.

According to several news reports, the Kahului Maui gauge in Hawaii recorded a tsunami amplitude of 4 ft relative to normal sea level.

There have been reports of traffic jams as people followed orders to find higher ground amid the threat of “destructive” waves hitting within hours.

A magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Russia’s far east earlier on Wednesday, AEST, sparking tsunami alerts for Japan, Hawaii, the west coast of the US and Pacific islands.

Officials issued warnings the first waves could hit around 7pm local time, but that was later reasssed.

A live stream of Hanalei Bay, on the north shore of Kauaʻi, appeared to show water begining to recede around 7.45pm.

Chip McCreery from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre told reporters just before 9pm local time (5pm AEST) that there is likely to be major flooding but “I’m hopeful we’ve seen the worst of it”.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green said airports have not been impacted by waves but pleaded on X for locals to “please take this very seriously” and urged people to evacuate.

“Do not risk being out at all near the shoreline,” he said.

One person could be seen paddleboarding in the water a few minutes earlier.

Gov. Green added: “We have still not seen any wave activity come past the big island. We expect it to be two to three hours at least until we can call all clear.”

Earlier, he described tsunami waves as “not a regular wave”.

“It will actually kill you if you get hit by a tsunami, so you have to be out of that area.”

He said people should retreat 4000 feet (120m) from the shoreline to be “absolutely safe”.

People queue up to pay for their parking as they leave the beachside area at Inage Seaside Park. Picture: Philip Fong/AFP

The Mayor of Maui Country Richard Bissen told Hawaii News Now on Wednesday afternoon that authorities would “get a better idea (soon) about how big it is”.

“We know that traffic is challenging right now. The message is, stay calm, work together. We’re not expecting the first wave until 7.10pm (3pm AEST),” he said.

“Here on Maui, there will be shelters open. They’ll all be open, they’ll be staffed. We want people to know that water will be shut off to prevent contamination. It’s sort of a rolling shut-off, so if people want to start filling up water containers, now would be the time.

Vehicles depart Waikiki beach in Oahu, Hawaii after the tsunami warnings. Picture: Eugene Tanner/AFP

“Take care of yourself, your family and help those who need assistance.

“Anyone in an inundation zone, there are several throughout the island. This wave will be a wraparound wave. Although it will come from the west, it will wrap around the island.”

People staying in tourists hotels on the famous islands have been told to evacuate or remain four storeys or above.

The entire west coast of the US is on tsunami alert, with the National Weather Service in California’s Bay Area saying “this will NOT be a single wave”.

“Do NOT try to go to the coast to take photos,” it wrote on X.

“You’re not just putting yourself at risk, you will also be putting rescue teams at risk.”

The 8.8 magnitude earthquake is the biggest recorded on earth since 2011 when a 9.1 megaquake hit northeast Japan and left 19,747 people either dead or missing.

It is the strongest in the region since 1952.

US President Donald Trump has urged Americans to “stay strong and stay safe”.

Originally published as Hawaiians brace for ‘wraparound’ tsunami waves after Russia earthquake