The Pacific Coast is on high alert after a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Russia

One of the most powerful earthquakes on record shook Russia's populous Far East Wednesday morning and triggered large waves in the North Pacific basin, as well as evacuation orders from Hawaii to Ecuador.

Meanwhile, states such as Hawaii are also experiencing large waves. According to CNN , some are more than five feet high. Authorities, meanwhile, are asking people to stay indoors and avoid going out.

"We expect to be about two to three hours at least until we can call an ‘all clear.’ So far though, at the moment, so good," Hawaii Governor Josh Green told a news conference.

The initial tsunami waves struck Alaska. Also, waves are expected to reach Oregon and Washington at approximately 11:35 p.m. Pacific time.

In Monterey County, California, authorities asked those living on boats in Moss Landing to evacuate. In addition, it was learned that helicopters have been patrolling the Los Angeles coastline, sounding sirens to warn of the presence of a tsunami warning.

Waves hit California hard on Wednesday morning during high tide, with confirmed maximum heights of up to 1.1 meters (about 3 feet 7 inches) recorded along the coast.

Meanwhile, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported that a tsunami with 1.3 meter (about 4 feet 3 inches) waves hit Miyagi, a port in the north of the country, on the Pacific coast. Japanese authorities are maintaining a tsunami warning for the Pacific coast and expect waves of up to three meters.

Television images showed people evacuating by car or on foot for high ground, including the northern island of Hokkaido, where the first 30-centimeter (1 foot) tsunami wave was observed.

Alert in several countries

The Japan Meteorological Agency added that waves of between one and three meters are also possible on the coasts of places like Chile, Costa Rica, French Polynesia and Guam.

Ecuador ordered the precautionary evacuation of beaches, piers and low-lying areas in the tourist Galapagos Islands, 1,000 km (620 miles) from the mainland, due to the risk of tsunami.

Waves of up to one meter could reach the coastlines of other places such as Colombia, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan.

The Mexican government asked the Civil Protection to keep the population away from the coasts, while Chile expected a possible tsunami to first reach Easter Island, in the Pacific.

Also, authorities in Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Panama called on their inhabitants to avoid water activities on the Pacific coasts.