The United States appears to have been spared a major tsunami following a powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake near eastern Russia.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday morning that the threat of a major tsunami has "passed completely."
“We’re in really good shape right now,” Noem said while visiting Chile. “We were fully deployed and ready to respond if necessary, but grateful that we didn’t have to deal with the situation that this could have been.”
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The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center issued a series of alerts Tuesday night across Alaska, Hawaii and the West Coast after the quake struck in the North Pacific Ocean.
By early Wednesday, those warnings were downgraded to tsunami advisories, meaning strong currents or waves could still pose a danger to those in or near the water. People in affected areas were urged to avoid beaches and coastal areas.
The largest wave was recorded in Maui late Tuesday, where water rose more than 5 feet. No major damage was reported, and residents who had evacuated were allowed to return home.
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Major destruction was also avoided in Russia and Japan, which are closer to the quake’s epicenter. The magnitude 8.8 quake ranks among the strongest ever recorded.
