Tsunami Arrives in Hawaii, Residents Evacuated to Higher Ground

The governor said that a safe distance from shoreline was at least 4,000 feet.

Residents and visitors found themselves backed up in traffic as they try to leave the the Ala Way Harbor, Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii, on July 29, 2025, after an 8.8 earthquake off of Russia's far east prompted tsunami alerts. Eugene Tanner/AFP via Getty Images

Tsunami waves started arriving in Hawaii around 7:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday night after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake occurred six hours earlier off eastern Russia.

The biggest waves of 4 feet were recorded in Haleiwa on Oahu’s northwest shores and Kahului Beach on Maui island.