FOURTH UPDATE: The tsunami advisory for Humboldt County has been cancelled, according to the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services.
“The advisory was lifted following updates from the National Tsunami Warning Center and coordination with state and federal emergency partners,” an OES release states. “While there is no longer a tsunami threat to Humboldt County, residents and visitors are urged to remain cautious, as strong currents and hazardous water conditions may still persist along the coast, in harbors and in bays.
“Beachgoers are advised to exercise caution and stay out of the water until conditions stabilize.”
The office states it will “continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed, otherwise this will be the final communication for this incident.” THIRD UPDATE:
The North Coast is back under an tsunami advisory, which is in effect until further notice, according to officials.
People are advised to stay away from beaches, harbors and coastal waterways.
SECOND UPDATE: The National Weather Service National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska has placed the coastline from Cape Mendocino to the Oregon border under a tsunami warning due to the magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck off Russia, mainly due to concerns in Del Norte County.
The Eureka office of the National Weather Service notes the maximum wave height forecast to hit Humboldt County is 1 to 2 feet.
“Del Norte is forecast to have a maximum wave height of 3-5 foot,” the local office states in a Facebook post. “People are advised to stay off of beaches and stay away from marinas and harbors for the next 10-36 hours after the first wave arrival at 1150PM PDT tonight.”
A Redwood Coast Tsunami Working Group Facebook post similarly states the main reason for the warning was “concern that areas around Crescent Harbor could experience surges of close to 6 feet in height causing some flooding in low lying areas.”
Other areas south of Cape Mendocino remain on a tsunami advisory.
“This event is not our worst case tsunami threat and is only likely to flood lower areas near beaches and harbors especially at high tide,” the post states, warning people not to go the beach to try to watch the wave.
The RCTWG post also notes the quake has been revised again to a magnitude 8.8, “making this earthquake tied for sixth place on the largest earthquake of all times.”
The first wave is expected to arrive locally at 11:50 p.m., according to the Eureka office of the National Weather Service.
UPDATE:
The National Weather Service National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska has now placed the West Coast under a tsunami advisory.
According to the center’s Facebook page, “advisories mean that a tsunami capable of producing strong currents or waves dangerous to people in or very near the water is expected. Significant widespread inundation is not expected for areas under an advisory. Currents may be hazardous to swimmers, boats, and coastal structures and may continue for several hours after the initial wave arrival.”
According to the Eureka office of the National Weather Service, the first wave is expected to arrive at 11:50 p.m.
“Move off the beach and out of harbors/marinas. Mariners are advised to get to (a) depth of 30 fathoms (180 feet) before wave arrival,” a social media post states. “For Humboldt Bay, it is about 12 miles from the marina to a depth of 30 fathoms. Stay tuned for more updates through the evening.”
PREVIOUS:
A tsunami watch has been issued for the West Coast by the National Weather Service National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska following a magnitude 8.7 earthquake off the east coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula at 4:24 p.m.
The most up-to-date information can be found at tsunami.gov. The tsunami warning center’s Facebook page also posts updates and states that watches are “an advance notice to areas that could be impacted by a tsunami at a later time. Watch areas may be upgraded to warning or advisory status, or canceled, based on new information or analysis. People in a watch area should closely follow subsequent tsunami messages.”
The earthquake was upgraded from a preliminary report of a magnitude 8.0, with the larger magnitude meaning “it displaced more seafloor and has the potential to create a potentially damaging tsunami,” according to a post on the Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group’s Facebook page.
“The first waves won’t arrive on the Northern California Coast until a little before midnight,” the post states. “A WATCH means there is still time to make a determination of the potential hazard and decide whether a warning or advisory should be issued.”
The Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group also notes the Russian earthquake “is unrelated to the M4.5 offshore of Humboldt County that occurred six minutes earlier.”
This article appears in Jul 24-30, 2025.