(Reuters) -A magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula on Wednesday, damaging buildings and generating a tsunami of up to 4 metres (13 feet) that prompted warnings and evacuations stretching across the Pacific Ocean.

Gov. Josh Green urged people in coastal areas to seek higher ground, with waves expected to reach the state within hours. “Do not wait,” he said.

A tsunami alert has been issued for Hawaii, Japan, Alaska, the Philippines, and many of the small islands south of the Russian epicenter.