A tsunami advisory was also issued for parts of Alaska and the entire West Coast after a powerful earthquake off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.

One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded has hit off Russia’s sparsely populated Far East. It sent tsunami waves into Japan, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast.

A massive 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s eastern coast early Wednesday, triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific and along the U.S. West Coast.