Tsunami watch issued for West Coast, including Oregon and Washington, after 8.7-magnitude earthquake strikes near Russia

 By Amy-Xiaoshi DePaola, KGW

PORTLAND, Ore. (KGW) -- Tsunami alerts were issued for Japan, Hawaii and Alaska after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 8.7 hit near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a tsunami watch, a low-level advisory, for the coastal areas of California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska, from the California-Mexico border to Chignik, Alaska. 

The National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning for parts of the Alaska Aleutian Islands and Hawaii, as well as an advisory for part of Alaska's coastline.

According to the city of Cannon Beach, no action is needed at this time, but those in the coastal area should be on alert. 

"Tsunami watches are an advance notice to areas that could be impacted by a tsunami at a later time," the city explained. 

Japan's meteorological agency initially issued a tsunami advisory for the country, upgrading it to an alert for the country's Pacific coast for a tsunami of up to 3 meters, possibly starting to arrive along the northern Japanese coasts in less than half an hour after the alert.

The quake was around 160 miles away from Hokkaido and was felt only slightly, according to Japan’s NHK television.

The U.S. Geological Survey said it hit at a depth of 12 miles. The initial magnitude was estimated at 8.0 but quickly revised to 8.7. 

Russia's Tass news agency reported power outages and mobile phone service failures in the capital of the Kamchatka region, as well as balconies on buildings shaking "noticeably."

So far, no damage or injuries have been reported.