Chile raises its tsunami warning to highest level

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One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck off Russia’s sparsely populated Far East early Wednesday, sending tsunami waves into parts of Japan, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast. Several people were injured, but none gravely, and no major damage has been reported so far.

Authorities warned the risk from the 8.8 magnitude quake could last for hours, and millions of people potentially in the path of the waves were initially told to move away from the shore or seek high ground.

The worst appeared to have passed for many areas, including the U.S., Japan and Russia. Chile, a place highly vulnerable to earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis, raised its warning to the highest level for most of its lengthy Pacific coast and said it was evacuating hundreds of people.

What to know:

Some advisories and warnings are still in effect: Much of the coastline for Chile is under the highest level of alert. The worst appeared to have passed for many areas, including the U.S., Japan and Russia. Authorities in Hawaii downgraded the state to a tsunami advisory early Wednesday, and evacuation orders on the Big Island and Oahu, the most populated island, were lifted.Even under an advisory, the risk remains: An advisory means there is the potential for strong currents and dangerous waves, as well as flooding on beaches or in harbors. A tsunami height of 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet) was recorded in Kamchatka, and waves of 60 centimeters (2 feet) were recorded on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido. In Northern California, officials recorded waves of 3.6 feet (1.1 meters) in Crescent City.Earthquake was one of history’s strongest: The quake struck at 8:25 a.m. Japan time with a magnitude of 8.8 and a depth of about 21 kilometers (13 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was centered about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Multiple aftershocks as strong as 6.9 magnitude followed.