A monstrous 8.8 magnitude earthquake has rattled the Pacific Rim, triggering immediate tsunami warnings from Russia and Japan to the entire U.S. West Coast.
The quake struck 84 miles southeast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula at approximately 7:24 PM EST. It’s the strongest earthquake since the devastating 2011 Japan megaquake that killed nearly 20,000 people.
Tsunami waves have already crashed into the Russian coast, submerging buildings and sending people fleeing. Local reports confirm multiple injuries, including one woman who jumped from a windoaw in panic.
Meanwhile, Japan was struck Sunday evening with waves breaching coastal defenses, evoking grim memories of its last tragedy. Emergency sirens echoed across seaside communities as evacuation orders were issued.
