Russian agencies have warned a new powerful earthquake near the Pacific's Kuril Islands could trigger a tsunami wave up to 19 centimeters (7.5 inches). A magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit Russia's Kuril islands on Sunday, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The Pacific Tsunami Warning System gauged the quake at 7.0.

The moment seismologists got word that a magnitude 8.8 earthquake had struck near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, they felt an acute sense of anxiety. It did just that in 1952, when a magnitude 9.0 quake effortlessly washed away a nearby Russian town while also causing extensive damage in far-off Hawaii.

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s eastern coast on late Wednesday morning, local time. The quake triggered tsunami waves across the Pacific that hit Russia, Japan, Canada and parts of the US coast.