Hours after a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck near the Russian coast, becoming one of the strongest tremors ever recorded, tsunami waves arrived in Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast following efforts to get hundreds of thousands away from coastlines and to higher ground.

A tsunami warning has been issued for Hawaii, where waves set off by an 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Russia’s remote Far East are expected to arrive after 7 p.m. local time.

A tsunami warning issued for Hawaii after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded, an 8.8 magnitude in Russia's Far East, was downgraded to an advisory after small waves peaked.