Kamchatka earthquake and tsunami alerts

The story so far

A magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday 30 July, triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific.^{30, 31 Jul 2025} The National Emergency Management Agency warned New Zealanders to stay away from beaches, rivers, harbours and coasts, and a tsunami advisory led to Cook Strait ferry detours and the suspension of Napier Port operations.^{30, 31 Jul 2025} Emergency mobile alerts sent that morning malfunctioned, with some people receiving multiple warnings and others none, prompting an apology from Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell.^{31 Jul 2025} NEMA investigated the inconsistencies, with some people reporting nearly 50 alerts, while the founder of an alternative alert framework said his system had been overlooked.^{31 Jul 2025; 1 Aug 2025}

Latest

In August NEMA explained that the repeated or missing alerts were caused by a combination of cell tower coverage, individual device settings and network changes.^{20 Aug 2025}

Key moments

1. 30 Jul 2025Magnitude 8.8 earthquake strikes off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, triggering Pacific tsunami warnings.
2. 31 Jul 2025New Zealand tsunami advisory brings Cook Strait ferry detours and Napier Port suspension.
3. 31 Jul 2025Technical glitch sees tsunami alerts sent repeatedly or not at all.
4. 31 Jul 2025Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell apologises for loud and faulty phone alerts.
5. 31 Jul 2025NEMA investigates reports of nearly 50 alerts for some and none for others.
6. 1 Aug 2025Advisory lifted for mainland; Chatham Islands threat remains after 51cm wave.
7. 2 Aug 2025National tsunami advisory cancelled Friday afternoon; unusual currents may persist through weekend.
8. 20 Aug 2025NEMA identifies cell coverage, device settings and network changes as causes of alert problems.

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