Japan on edge but prepared for tsunami after huge Kamchatka earthquake

The Japan Times July 30: Towns, villages and nuclear reactors were evacuated and airports shut while office workers rushed to higher floors in coastal cities as Japan came under the threat of tsunamis Wednesday following a massive earthquake in the Russian Far East.

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The country was prepared but on edge, with the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami not forgotten and lessons learned from that disaster put into practice. Residents inland went about their business while coastal areas quickly implemented long-planned measures.

Around the world, countries readied for the arrival of the waves following the magnitude 8.7 earthquake that struck off the coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, about 1,500 kilometers from Hokkaido, with alerts being issued for Pacific islands, including Hawaii, the US mainland and Ecuador, and tsunamis more than three meters tall said to be a possibility in some places.

By the end of the afternoon in Japan, the biggest waves to come ashore measured 1.3 m, with one death reported and no major damage. Elsewhere, the situation was much the same, with waves initially weaker than feared.

Officials in Japan warned the public to remain prepared, as tsunamis can be unpredictable and waves can peak long after the first come ashore, while the waves may not have reached areas a great distance from the epicenter.

“Tsunami can strike repeatedly over a long period of time. The waves that come after the first one may be larger, so it is important to continue evacuating until the tsunami warning or advisory is lifted," the Meteorological Agency said.