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

Fears of a devastating tsunami across the Pacific faded Wednesday after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck off a sparsely populated Russian peninsula, but communities along South America’s Pacific coast carried out evacuations and closed beaches.

A powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia has triggered tsunami warnings and evacuations across the Pacific, affecting millions in Japan, Alaska, Hawaii, and California.