Powerful waves hit Russia, Japan after 8.8-temblor

A tsunami hit coastal areas of Russia's Kuril Islands and Japan's large northern island of Hokkaido after a powerful, 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia early Wednesday.

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Warnings are also in place for Alaska, Hawaii, and other coasts south toward New Zealand.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami as high as 60 centimeters (two feet) had been detected as the waves moved south along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Tokyo Bay. Officials urged caution, saying that bigger waves could come later.

Damage and evacuations were reported in the Russian regions nearest the quake's epicenter on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said nearly two million residents are now under evacuation advisories in more than 220 municipalities along the Pacific coast as of midday Wednesday.

It added that one person was slightly injured on the northern island of Hokkaido when a woman in her 60s fell while rushing to evacuate. She was taken to a hospital.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said data from Midway Atoll, which is part of the way between Japan and Hawaii, measured tsunami waves from peak to trough of six feet (1.8 meters).

He said waves hitting Hawaii could be bigger or smaller and it was too early to tell how large they would be. A tsunami of that size would be akin to a three-foot (90 centimeter) wave riding on top of surf, he said.