The epicenter was located 145 km (90 miles) E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (population 181 216), Kamchatka, Russia.
241 000 people are estimated to have felt strong shaking, 33 000 moderate and 11 000 light.
Based on the preliminary earthquake parameters (M7.8) hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 1 000 km (620 miles) of the earthquake epicenter, NWS PTWC said.
A tsunami threat exists for parts of the Pacific closer to the earthquake but it is still too early to determine whether Hawaii is under threat, the center said at 19:05 UTC. “If a tsunami threat to Hawaii is confirmed, the earliest possible arrival time is 14:51 HST on Thursday, September 18.”
The tsunami threat has passed by 21:27 UTC, with only minor sea level fluctuations in some coastal areas near the earthquake.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and Yellow alert for economic losses. Some damage is possible and the impact should be relatively localized. Estimated economic losses are less than 1% of GDP of Russia. Past events with this alert level have required a local or regional level response.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are adobe block and unreinforced brick with mud construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as tsunamis that might have contributed to losses.
Landslides triggered by the earthquake are expected to be limited, but liquefaction is assessed to be significant in severity and/or spatial extent.
