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B.C. tsunami watch upgraded to advisory due to possibility of dangerous waves

DH Vancouver Staff
DH Vancouver Staff
|
Jul 30 2025, 12:54 am
B.C. tsunami watch upgraded to advisory due to possibility of dangerous waves
ECCC

UPDATE: As of 6:34 a.m. PDT on Wednesday, the tsunami advisory for impacted B.C. areas has been cancelled. 

A significant part of the B.C. coast is now under a tsunami advisory following a magnitude 8.7 earthquake that occurred near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.

This comes after a tsunami watch was issued earlier in the afternoon.

According to EmergencyInfoBC, the tsunami advisory is in effect for:

  • Zones A – North Coast and Haida Gwaii
  • Zone B – Central Coast and Northeast Vancouver Island Coast, including Kitimat, Bella Coola, and Port Hardy
  • Zone C – West Coast of Vancouver Island from Cape Scott to Port Renfrew
  • Zone D – Juan de Fuca Strait from Jordan River to Greater Victoria (including the Saanich Peninsula)

People are being instructed to stay away from beaches and waterways in these zones, as “strong and potentially dangerous waves and currents are possible.”

EmergencyInfoBC warns that waves could continue for several hours.

Greater Vancouver is located in Zone E, and officials have determined there are no risks in effect for the area at this time.

tsunami watch

Emergency Info BC

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), a tsunami advisory is issued “when there is a possibility of strong localized currents. No significant inundation is expected, but low-lying coastal areas and beaches may be at risk. A tsunami is a series of waves. The first wave may not be the largest.”

Officials say the magnitude 8.7 earthquake was reported 136 km SE of Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka, Russia, at 4:24 p.m. PDT on Tuesday.

Anyone in a tsunami advisory area should check for updates on the Emergency Management B.C. or the National Tsunami Warning Center websites.

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