Officials Confirm No Tsunami Threat to California After Magnitude 7.8 Offshore Earthquake

California officials have confirmed that there is no tsunami threat to the state’s coastline following a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck in the Southern Philippines on June 8.

In a social media update, the National Weather Service’s tsunami warning center said that there was no tsunami danger to the North American coasts of the U.S. or Canada following the offshore earthquake.

California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services shared in a post on X that the state has coordinated with the tsunami warning center to confirm that there was no tsunami threat to California or the U.S. West Coast.

The earthquake struck close to Kablalan in the Philippines on Monday morning local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

A total of 32 people died due to the earthquake, while over 200 people were injured, according to AP News. Several buildings collapsed or sustained significant damage in cities near the epicenter.

The quake had prompted tsunami assessments across the Pacific Ocean region due to its intensity and offshore location.

While California was unaffected by the powerful quake, tsunami waves were observed along parts of the Philippines, neighboring Pacific regions such as Indonesia, Palau, and as far away as Japan and Australia, the BBC reported. Some of the tsunami warnings were canceled a few hours later, the report added.

Extending its sympathies to those affected by the earthquake, the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines said in a social media post that it was monitoring the situation along with Philippine authorities and was ready to support response efforts.

In an earlier Facebook post, the embassy had said that the American Citizens Services unit in Manila and Consular Agency in Cebu were operational.

Local Impact in the Philippines

The major earthquake rocked Sarangani and other surrounding areas at 7:37 a.m. Philippine Standard Time, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

Around 22 million people were exposed to moderate to severe shaking caused by the earthquake, according to the USGS.

The earthquake caused intense shaking, which was felt at several places near the epicenter and places as far away as Baras (618 kilometers from the epicenter), MacArthur (579 kilometers), and Cebu City (545 kilometers).

The USGS categorized the earthquake as Level IX intensity, which indicates violent shaking and heavy damage. The seismic event was categorized as an orange alert for economic losses, which indicates significant, widespread damage, and a yellow alert for shaking-related fatalities, which indicated some potential casualties.

Several aftershocks, ranging from 4.6 to 6.5, occurred across the region following the main powerful seismic event.

Earthquake-induced landslides, rock falls, and other types of movement are expected in hilly areas following the earthquake, according to PHIVOLCS.

Similar to California, Sarangani and surrounding provinces experience earthquakes since they are located in a seismically active region.

The coast of Sarangani faces the Cotabato Trench, a major earthquake-generating structure, according to PHIVOLCS. Additionally, there are several local faults close to the region, which, along with the Cotabato Trench, generate minor to powerful earthquakes.

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake occurred in October 2025, which led to more than 10 fatalities, according to the USGS.