People scared for woman who plans to ‘wait out’ Hawaii tsunami on raft

People are seriously worried for a woman who plans to 'ride this tsunami' as warnings have been put in place for Hawaii.

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit near Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula at about 11:25 am local time on Wednesday (30 July), and it has sent a small tsunami into the coasts of Russia, Japan and Alaska.

Tsunami warnings have been issued in North and Central America, Japan, and the Pacific islands toward New Zealand.

Already, a wave of 5.7ft has been recorded on Maui, with more waves reaching the Hawaiian coast on the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

Videos posted on social media show tsunami sirens blaring across Hawaii, with locals fleeing coastal beaches. However, one woman who appeared to have gone against the advice posted a video on TikTok just hours ago, showing her planning to 'ride' out the tsunami waves on a raft.

Tehani (@teh_aloha) filmed herself floating in the sea on a raft with the viral 'nothing beats a Jet2 holiday' track by Jess Glynne playing in the background.

"Bout to go out to sea and ride this tsunami, wish me luck (upside down smiley face emoji)," she wrote in the text overlay.

Viewers were very much concerned by the video, as one person commented: "GIRL ITS NOT THE TIME TO PLAY MOANA."

"Actually so scared for you," a second wrote, while a third penned: "Girl be safe and save your phone battery!!."

"Girl why r u doing this please be safe," another questioned.

As someone else said: "Omg stay safe!! you’re so brave."

Well, just two hours ago from the time of writing, she replied to people in the comments, which suggests that she is hopefully doing fine.

It comes after the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said Hawaii's tsunami warning has been downgraded to an advisory level.

This basically means that a major tsunami is not expected to arrive, but there may still be minor flooding, strong waves and currents.

Locals are being advised to remain vigilant for flooding and to drive slowly.

In Japan, 1.9 million people have been told to evacuate, as US President Donald Trump said earlier on Truth Social: "Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii.

"A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States. Japan is also in the way. Please visit tsunami.gov for the latest information. STAY STRONG AND STAY SAFE!"

What is a tsunami?

Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator with the National Tsunami Warning Centre in Alaska, said: "A tsunami is not just one wave. It’s a series of powerful waves over a long period of time. Tsunamis cross the ocean at hundreds of miles an hour - as fast as a jet aeroplane - in deep water.

“But when they get close to the shore, they slow down and start to pile up. And that’s where that inundation problem becomes a little bit more possible there."

"In this case, because of the Earth basically sending out these huge ripples of water across the ocean, they’re going to be moving back and forth for quite a while."