ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® reports that amateur radio operators, including volunteers serving in the ARRL® Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) were active in monitoring the potential impacts of tsunami waves following an earthquake off the Russian coast on July 29, 2025. The quake registered 8.8 on the Richter scale, and prompted tsunami concerns and warnings around the Pacific rim.

ARRL Pacific Section Manager Alan Maenchen, AD6E, lives in Wailuku, Hawaii. He was monitoring ham radio communications across the state. “There was some minor flooding in a few areas. It could have been worse. Some of the early waves were measured at 4.5 feet. Waves continue this morning but at a much lower level and difficult to notice by the naked eye,” he reported.

The well-networked ham radio operators in Hawaii quickly sprang into action following the alerts. Informal VHF nets were held on amateur radio repeaters. “Rick (Ward), WH6FC, held an informational statewide HF net on 7090 kHz LSB for many hours and there were about 57 check-ins,” said Maenchen.

On the US mainland, radio amateurs were also on alert. “The Oregon coast teams appear to have been in informal monitoring mode so that they are readily available for activation if needed,” said Bonnie Altus, AB7ZQ, who serves as the Section Emergency Coordinator of the ARRL Oregon Section.

The California Rescue Net on 40 meters was activated. According to Bob Turner, W6RHK, Section Manager of the ARRL Orange Section, “The net received some preparation reports from the San Francisco Bay area and Santa Cruz along with some maritime mobile stations with routine traffic. Orange County RACES checked into the net to inquire about tsunami traffic.”

Ham radio operators are trained for situations like this. In March, operators in the ARRL Los Angeles Section participated in a Tsunami exercise, simulating their response following large earthquakes with magnitudes 6 through 9 that appeared over several hours – much like this real world instance. Across the Caribbean, ARRL volunteers took part in the Caribe Wave 2025 drill the same month. 

As mainstream media was covering the earthquake and potential tsunami, Nexstar Media, the largest ownership group of television stations in the United States, published an article across its stations’ websites with 10 tips for evacuating during a tsunami. Number 6 on the list was to “Bring a portable radio or ham radio, also known as an amateur radio. Do not count on phones or the internet to work. Stay tuned until the threat is over.”

The tsunami impact to North America was minimal at worst, and alerts were canceled by midday on July 30. Photographs from Russia show widespread devastation from the earthquake.

The 40-meter amateur radio band is a popular choice for regional emergency communications nets due to the ability to use near vertical incidence skywave (NVIS) propagation, in which the radio waves go nearly straight up and are reflected over a limited area by the ionosphere. Many hams involved in emergency communications use NVIS antennas in their home setups.

About ARES®

The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) consists of licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment with their local ARES leadership, for communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes.

Amateur radio operators use their training, skills, and equipment to provide communications during emergencies When All Else Fails®. Hams serve their communities when storms or other disasters damage critical communication infrastructure, including cell towers, and wired and wireless networks. Amateur radio can function completely independently of the internet and phone systems. An amateur radio station can be set up almost anywhere in minutes. Hams can quickly raise a wire antenna in a tree or on a mast, connect it to a radio and power source, and communicate effectively with others.

About ARRL®

ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® was founded in 1914 as The American Radio Relay League, and is a noncommercial organization of radio amateurs. ARRL numbers within its ranks the vast majority of active radio amateurs (or “hams”) in the US and has a proud history of achievement as the standard-bearer in promoting and protecting amateur radio. ARRL supports members with opportunities to discover radio, to develop new skills, and to serve their local communities. For more information about ARRL and amateur radio, visit www.arrl.org.