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.

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.

Japanese officials also downgraded tsunami warnings in the southern half of the country as 1.9 million residents faced evacuation orders along its Pacific coast.

Hawaii officials say the timing of the tsunami warning and evacuation orders following this week's massive earthquake off Russia helped make for severe traffic congestion in some areas

The worst predictions did not come to pass after a major earthquake off the coast of Russia sent a surge of water across the Pacific.

A tsunami sent waves into parts of Russia, Japan, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the Russian Far East early Wednesday. The quake was one of the biggest ever recorded.