Update: Hawaiʻi Gov. Josh Green said no wave of consequence has hit islands

Editor’s Note: Pacific Tsunami Warning Center downgraded the tsunami warning issued earlier Tuesday for the Hawaiian Islands to a tsunami advisory at 10:38 p.m. July 29, 2025. A major tsunami is no longer expected. Residents are asked, however, to exercise caution and stay out of the water, as coastal areas continue to be hazardous.

Gov. Josh Green said “no wave of consequence” had hit Hawai‘i as of 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, but officials were still monitoring ocean conditions after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia set off a tsunami warning for the islands.

Rising waves passing through the Midway Atoll and receding water on O‘ahu’s North Shore were among the reasons why state officials weren’t ready to issue the all clear yet. Green said the waves detected had reached as high as 6 feet from trough to peak.

“Until we see what happens on the Big Island and the full wraparound of the islands, we won’t feel that we are in a position to start seeing and saying that we’re kind of in the clear,” Green said during a news conference on O‘ahu just before 8:30 p.m. “We expect to be about two to three hours at least. … So far though, at the moment, so good.”

Green said the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center will advise the state when it’s safe to issue the all clear, and that it will depend on the waves decreasing in size and the tides going down.

“Again, we don’t want anyone to let their guard down,” Green said.

State and county officials have been issuing warnings for nearly six hours since the earthquake struck shortly before 1:30 p.m. Hawai‘i time, registering as one of the largest to rattle the Pacific Rim since the roughly 9.0-magnitude quake and tsunami in Japan in 2011.

After Tuesday’s earthquake, Green said there had been waves up to 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) cascading over shorelines in Japan. In Hale‘iwa, O‘ahu, the water receded about 20 to 30 feet, leaving some boats on dry rock and sand.

“That gave us pause,” Green said. “That doesn’t happen for no reason. When the water pulls back like that, that means there’s activity in the ocean. So again, keep our fingers crossed that we don’t suffer a big tsunami. Again, people have been very thoughtful and very safe, and that’s something we appreciate.”

Green said there had been no loss of power and that Hawaiian Electric had no plans to shut off the electricity.

He advised people not to call 9-1-1 unless they have an emergency.

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued the tsunami warning at about 2:45 p.m., with waves expected to hit Kaua‘i’s north shore first at around 7:10 p.m. and reach the other islands in the state by 7:17 p.m.

A warning means a tsunami was generated and could cause damage along the coast, and that urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property. 

Sirens went off throughout the state at 5:10 p.m., 6:10 p.m. and 6:40 p.m.

Green said earlier Tuesday afternoon that the state was bracing for “significant damage along the coastlines.”

He urged people to stay away from beaches and harbors, rivers or low-lying areas and told people in evacuation zones to get to higher ground or go up four stories if in a building.

Tsunami evacuation zones can be found online. 

“We will only give the all clear when we feel there is total safety,” Green said. 

Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan, adjutant general of the Hawai‘i Department of Defense, said that preparations were ongoing across the state. The Hawai‘i National Guard had placed liaison officers in every county’s emergency management agency “to create a near-real time response capability.” 

High-water vehicles and aircraft had also been activated, with the capability to do search and rescue or transport people to hospital facilities as needed.

On Hawai‘i island, commercial operations were suspended at Hilo Airport to allow for evacuations from Keaukaha. 

On Kaua‘i, the public was urged to avoid Hanalei Bay to allow people to evacuate, and Wailuā Bridge was being kept open, Logan said. 

The U.S. Coast Guard closed all major ports, and ships were ordered out to sea.