One of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded has sent a tsunami crashing into a Russian port and smaller waves barreling across the Pacific to the Americas and south to New Zealand.

After an 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula, early tsunami warning systems kicked in and helped millions of people safely evacuate

The sixth-strongest earthquake ever recorded triggered waves several feet high hurtling towards coastal areas worldwide.Countries in and around the Pacific Ocean announced varying degrees of alerts for anticipated tsunamis.

Tsunami alerts were issued for Alaska and Hawaii on Tuesday after a major, 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia, according to officials.

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Hawaii officials say the timing of the tsunami warning and evacuation orders following this week's massive earthquake off Russia helped make for severe traffic congestion in some areas

The earthquake that struck off the coast of Russia late Tuesday registered 8.8 on the Richter scale and ensuing tsunami has raised concerns that the Pentagon could be caught unawares by a natural disaster in a region where thousands of U.

A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Wednesday off Russia's remote Far East, sending tsunami waves crashing into Hawaii and Japan and sparking evacuations and warnings across the Pacific.

Tsunami warnings scaled back across northern Pacific after huge quake off eastern Russia