Right now, if you're looking at the horizon with a knot in your stomach, take a breath. There isn't a massive, Hollywood-style wall of water charging across the ocean at this exact second. As of January 15, 2026, the global tsunami warning systems—managed by folks at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) and the National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC)—show no active, major tsunami warnings for the Pacific, Atlantic, or Indian Oceans.
But "no warning" doesn't mean the ocean is ever truly silent.
Just this morning, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake rattled the seafloor about 70 miles southeast of Buldir Island, Alaska. Usually, when people see "Alaska" and "Earthquake" in the same sentence, they start packing bags. Honestly, that's fair. Alaska is a seismic beast. However, the experts issued a Tsunami Information Statement confirming there is no threat from this specific event. It wasn't deep enough or strong enough to displace the massive volume of water needed to send a surge toward your local beach.
Where is the tsunami right now? Breaking down the "Information Statements"
When you search for where is the tsunami right now, you’ll often find a list of "Information Statements." This confuses everyone. You see a map with a red dot, you see the word "tsunami," and you panic.
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Basically, an Information Statement is the scientific version of a "Heads Up." It means an earthquake happened that was big enough for the sensors to notice, but after running the math, the scientists realized it didn't create a wave.
- Alaska (Jan 15): M5.6 near Buldir Island. Status: No threat.
- Japan (Jan 15): M4.7 and M5.1 quakes near Hotaka and Shiojiri. Status: No tsunami expected.
- Indonesia (Jan 14): A string of M4.9 to M5.0 quakes near Tobelo and Maumere. Status: Quiet.
It's kinda wild how many earthquakes happen under the sea that we never feel. In the last 24 hours alone, the "Ring of Fire" has been buzzing. We've seen activity near the Kuril Islands and the Easter Island region. These are all deep-sea "seaquakes." They are the reason the sensors stay on 24/7, but none of them have actually triggered a wave today.
Why the 2025 Kamchatka event still haunts the search results
You might be seeing scary headlines or videos about a "massive 8.8 quake" or "waves hitting Hawaii." This is where the internet gets tricky. In July 2025, a very real and very powerful M8.8 earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. It was a monster. It triggered genuine evacuations in Japan, Hawaii, and even parts of South America.
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People are still searching for that event today. If you're seeing a video on YouTube or a TikTok about "where is the tsunami right now" that shows 4-foot waves hitting Oahu, check the date. You're likely looking at footage from that 2025 event. It was a wake-up call for the Pacific, but that specific wave has long since dissipated.
The weird science of "Meteotsunamis"
Believe it or not, you can have a tsunami without an earthquake. Just a couple of days ago, on January 13, 2026, a rare meteotsunami caused a deadly surge along the coast of Santa Clara del Mar in Argentina.
These aren't caused by tectonic plates. They’re caused by intense atmospheric pressure changes—basically, a storm "pushes" the water in a way that creates a wave that looks and acts just like a regular tsunami. They are incredibly hard to predict because our usual "earthquake = tsunami" formula doesn't apply. It's a reminder that while the PTWC is watching the ground, we also have to watch the sky.
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How to actually tell if you're in danger
If there were a real threat right now, your phone would be screaming. Literally. The Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system is designed to bypass your "do not disturb" settings.
- The "Big One" Rule: If you are on the coast and feel the ground shake for more than 20 seconds—so hard you can't stand up—don't wait for a text. Just go.
- The Water's Behavior: If the ocean suddenly pulls back, exposing fish and reefs that are usually underwater, that's the "vacuum" effect. The wave is coming. You have minutes, not hours.
- Official Channels: Stick to tsunami.gov. It's the gold standard. If it's not on their map, it's probably clickbait or an old news cycle.
NASA recently published data from their SWOT satellite (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) showing that tsunamis don't travel as one clean line. They scatter. They bounce off underwater mountains. This means one town might get a 2-foot surge while the town three miles away gets 10 feet. It’s inconsistent and terrifying, which is why "Advisories" (stay off the beach) are just as important as "Warnings" (get to high ground).
What you should do next
If you're in a coastal zone, do yourself a favor and check your local evacuation map today. Don't wait for the siren. Most people assume they'll just drive inland, but in a real event, roads jam instantly. You need to know a walking route.
Check the National Weather Service or your local Emergency Management Agency website. They usually have "Inundation Maps" that show exactly which streets will be underwater in a worst-case scenario. Grab a physical map—because if a big one hits, cell towers often go down within minutes. Stay safe, stay informed, and don't let the "old news" on social media freak you out.