Large waves could start lapping at some parts of the Oregon and California coasts as early as 11:30 p.m., according to estimates from the National Tsunami Weather Center. In other areas, the biggest waves won’t arrive until closer to 2 a.m. Wednesday morning.
An “advisory” is the second-highest tsunami alert level, and means people should stay out of the water, and away from beaches and waterways, and should expect strong currents and potentially dangerous waves.
”Do not go to the coast to watch the tsunami,” staff with the National Weather Service’s Medford office said in a written statement posted online Tuesday. “Move off the beach and out of harbors and marinas.”
Here’s when large waves might reach some destinations along the West Coast, according to tsunami center estimates:
- 11:50 p.m. Tuesday: Brookings, Oregon and Fort Bragg, California
- 11:55 p.m. Tuesday: Seaside and Newport in Oregon, and Crescent City in California
- 12:40 a.m. Wednesday: San Francisco
A full list of when large waves might arrive on the West Coast is online here.
Tsunamis can arrive as a series of ocean surges for many hours, officials warn, and the first wave may not be the largest.
At around 4pm today, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake occurred off the shore of Russia. Tsunami warnings have now been issued for the entire Pacific coast. So what should you do to prepare you and your family for a potential tsunami?
— Red Cross Cascades (@RedCrossCasc) July 30, 2025
1️⃣ If you live in a tsunami hazard zone, make a… pic.twitter.com/XUIX8RHveY
JPR's Liam Moriarty contributed to this story.