Huge traffic jams in Hawaii as hundreds of people flee tsunami
Huge traffic jams have built up in Hawaii as people have been desperately try to flee for safety following an 8.8-magnitude earthquake which struck Russia's Far East early on Wednesday.
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The huge tremor has set off a tsunami in the northern Pacific, with Hawaii also hit.
It has also prompted warnings for Alaska, south toward New Zealand, Japan, the Philippines and China.
Pictures and videos on social media show huge queues forming on roads in Hawaii as people try to reach safer areas.
One X user posted an image of himself and his family stuck in a queue in a car in Waikīkī, Hawaii, with a caption attached saying "traffic’s jammed - about to ditch the car and leg it inland".
Videos show long stretches of road filled with cars which appear to not be moving as traffic builds.
Read more: Oprah Winfrey denies claims she refused to let Hawaiians fleeing Tsunami use her private road
A wave of 4ft (1.2m) hit the coast of Oahu, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, with Hawaii Governor Josh Green saying the main island state has yet to see a “wave of consequence”.
“We still have not seen any wave activity come past the Big Island. That’s important. Until we see what happens on the Big Island, we won’t feel we’re in a position to start saying that we’re in the clear,” he said.
He earlier urged residents not to ignore evacuation warnings in the US state, advising them to avoid the shoreline at all costs.
"People need to evacuate, that’s very clear. … Please take this very seriously," he said.
Water levels on the islands of Kauai and Oahu, home to the capital city of Honolulu, dropped significantly before impact - a phenomenon which occurs before large waves hit.
Donald Trump added he wants people impacted to ""STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE".
"Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii," he posted on X.
Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii. A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States. Japan is also in the way. Please visit https://t.co/wdFzeu1I0h for the…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2025
"A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States.
"Japan is also in the way. Please visit https://tsunami.gov for the latest information. STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!"
The quake is the strongest earthquake recorded since 2011 - when a 9.1 magnitude earthquake rocked Tohoku in Japan and left tens of thousands of people dead, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The earthquake is also the sixth strongest ever recorded, according to the USGS.The strongest was a 9.5 magnitude quake felt in Chile in 1960.